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Key points:
·Conditional approval: The first batch of heated tobacco products in Taiwan, China has received conditional approval, with companies needing to meet various conditions, including funding third-party monitoring, reporting on usage data, and maintaining a system for reporting adverse events.
·Regulatory upgrades: The revised Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act completely bans e-cigarettes and introduces a health risk assessment mechanism for new tobacco products, strengthening supervision of heated tobacco products.
·Market impact: The entry of heated tobacco products into the market will depend on further reviews and product packaging, with concerns being raised about their market prospects and impact on the traditional tobacco market.
·Protection of vulnerable groups: The review committee attaches special importance to protecting the rights of minors, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups, requiring companies to avoid misleading advertising.
·Companies suspected of approval: While the two approved companies have not disclosed their full names in official documents, FTNN news directly identifies them as "Philip Morris International Limited" and "Japan Tobacco International Limited" in their reporting.
On July 29, according to a report by Focus Taiwan, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) in Taiwan announced that the first batch of heated tobacco products has been conditionally approved for legal sale under the amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.
The amended Tobacco Hazards Control Act will take effect on March 22, 2023, completely banning e-cigarettes and introducing a health risk assessment mechanism for new tobacco products such as heated tobacco. These products must undergo review before they can be produced, imported, or sold.
According to the HPA, a total of two companies have been conditionally approved to produce 14 types of heated tobacco products.
The agency stated that it has issued notices to both companies on that day, indicating that the time for the products to enter the market will depend on further review and product packaging.
At the same time, conditional approval does not equate to a simple pass, and companies submitting products must regularly provide reports or face the risk of approval being revoked. The approval process will follow the same procedures as traditional tobacco products, including a review of packaging and product ingredients.
The Health Promotion Administration will discuss the support measures for personal imports of heated tobacco products and the collection of tobacco surcharges with relevant departments, but these measures will only be implemented after the current administrative review is completed.
These companies must meet seven criteria in order to retain their approval, including funding third-party monitoring, reporting usage data to the Department of Health and Welfare, and maintaining a system for reporting adverse events.
The HPA stresses that companies must also disclose new addictive findings, resubmit changes for review, strictly enforce age verification and advertising controls, and refrain from using misleading statements such as "safer than cigarettes" on packaging.
According to a report by United News, two companies are offering a total of 14 items, including 8 types of pods from company A and 3 accompanying devices items, as well as 6 types of pods from company B and 1 accompanying devices item.
It should be noted that while the two approved companies did not disclose their full names in official documents, FTNN news website directly identified them as "Philip Morris International Inc." and "Japan Tobacco International Inc." in its report.
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