The smoke control law has been negotiated for four times and has become the key point, which has attracted great attention from all walks of life.

(file photo)

[Reporter Qiu Zhirou/Taipei Report] Today (4th) the Tobacco Hazard Prevention Law will be negotiated for the fourth time in the Legislative Yuan. Following last week’s non-traditional tobacco product control methods, there was still no consensus among the members present. There are many reserved provisions. Legislators hope that the National Health Administration will bring back the opinions of many members and the public for reference, and propose a revised version for the next consultation and discussion.

The focus of today's negotiations is still on how to manage non-traditional tobacco products.

In the draft proposed by the Government Council, the management policy for non-traditional tobacco products is to "prohibit e-cigarettes and open heating cigarettes." There was no consensus on the definition of a smoking product.

Please read on...

Some legislators believe that if heating tobacco is to be opened, the electronic carrier of heating tobacco should be regarded as a smoking product and be regulated. "Natural plants" is a necessary condition. If electronic vehicles are to be included together, I am afraid that the content of the current draft will have to be greatly revised. Some members of the Democratic Progressive Party opposed the inclusion of vehicles.

In addition to the management of non-traditional tobacco products, this amendment also significantly tightened the regulations on tobacco products, such as expanding the area of ​​warning graphics, banning flavors and additives designated by the competent authority, restricting the sales specifications of each unit of tobacco products, Incorporating colleges and universities into no-smoking areas, and many other norms are also one of the main reasons why the smoking hazard control law could not reach a consensus during the review period.

Some members believe that the content of the draft proposed by the competent authority is already the most stringent standard in the world, which can be said to make Taiwan a non-smoking country in disguise.

Some legislators also questioned that in the survey report submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Administration, there may be less than ten countries that have similar control methods to this revision. Whether such a strict revision of the law is necessary and whether social reality has been taken into account.

In addition, some members proposed an amendment motion to adjust the buffer period of the relevant amendments to be implemented after one year. The original Ministry of Health and Welfare expressed that they hoped to announce the implementation date after the adjustment of relevant internal measures. Discussion, the preparation time of the industry may be shortened by several months.

Tobacco product importers responded that the committee’s proposals could not be close to public opinion. Amending the law greatly restricted the industry, and even shortened the preparation time. This is fundamentally difficult. Take the expansion of the warning graphic area as an example. Before the new law is implemented, the industry must adjust the production process and supply chain , and replace all tobacco products on the market with the new version of warning graphics. However, due to the impact of the epidemic in recent years, the global supply chain is facing difficulties such as shortage of manpower, logistics and raw materials. The government should give the industry more and enough time to respond to the new law’s impact on the industry caused drastic changes.

All kinds of controversies have added uncertainty to the negotiation of the Tobacco Hazard Control Law, and the negotiation will also test whether legislators can improve the amendments to the bill.

☆The free e-newsletter cares about you, smoking is harmful to your health☆

The Tobacco Hazard Control Law will be negotiated for the fourth time in the Legislative Yuan today (4th).

(file photo)