According to a report by Taiwan's United News Network on August 8th, the Health and Welfare Department of Taiwan announced a new draft regulation on the prohibition of additives in tobacco products, expanding the original ban on 4 flavors to 27 additives.
It is reported that on March 22nd last year, the new law on tobacco control in Taiwan officially went into effect, which stipulates that "tobacco products shall not use additives that have been prohibited from use by the competent authority", banning floral, fruity, chocolate, and mint flavors. The Taiwan Smoke-Free Association has repeatedly called for a complete ban on flavored tobacco to protect young people from temptation.
In recent years, new types of tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco have become increasingly popular among young people in Taiwan, China. Tobacco companies have been adding ingredients like mint, sugar, and acetyl propionyl to their products to attract young consumers, making the taste of the smoke smoother and less harsh. Many mistakenly believe that these new tobacco products are less harmful, but in reality, the harmful substances have not decreased. After years of anti-smoking campaigns, the overall smoking rate in Taiwan, China has been decreasing, especially among young people using traditional cigarettes. However, in order to attract young people, tobacco companies have been adding flavors like floral and fruity scents, mint, and designing novel packaging to promote their products as a safer option than traditional cigarettes.
The chairman of the Taiwan Smoking Cessation and Health Education Association, Wei Fangjun, pointed out that
According to the "Health Impact Report on Heated Tobacco" released by the WHO in 2023, there are 22 harmful chemicals in heated tobacco smoke that are twice as much as in traditional cigarettes. Additionally, there are 7 chemicals that are ten times higher, making the health risks comparable to those of traditional cigarettes.
Director Lin Qingli of the Dongshi Foundation Tobacco Control Center emphasized that flavored cigarettes are like poison disguised with sugar coating. Young people do not understand the dangers, mistakenly thinking that they have a mild taste, therefore causing less harm. She called on the government to fully ban flavored tobacco as soon as possible to protect children and young people from the harms of smoking.
China Sun's 'National Health Department' reiterates the protection of teenagers, avoiding interference from commercial cigarettes, and urges tobacco industry to stop providing harmful products to teenagers and young people.
The head of the Department of Health's tobacco control team, Louise Russell, stated
27 additives are commonly found in the ingredients list of tobacco products. Drawing from the management experiences of countries such as the United States, the European Union, and Canada, these additives are included to protect the public from the harm of nicotine.
The National Health Commission calls for action against flavored tobacco products, warning that the sweet taste and aroma can easily attract young people to try them, leading them to believe that they are less harmful and continue using them, which can easily lead to addiction and seriously affect the health and development of young people.
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