Taiwan's HPA Strict Regulations on New Tobacco Products

Regulations by 2FIRSTS.ai
Jul.26.2024
Taiwan's HPA Strict Regulations on New Tobacco Products
Taiwan has not approved any e-cigarette products, with fines for those using HNB products without consent by the Health Promotion Administration.

According to the Taiwan Taipei Times on July 26th, Taiwan has currently not approved any e-cigarette products. The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that individuals using HNB products and e-cigarettes will be fined.


The Director of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Wu Zhaojun, quoted the latest amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, stating that without government approval, new types of tobacco and nicotine products may not be used or distributed. Unauthorized production, import, sales, supply, display or advertising of new tobacco products could result in fines of up to 5 million New Taiwan Dollars ($152,263 USD), and users could face fines of 10,000 New Taiwan Dollars.


Wu Zhaojun stated that since the revised regulation took effect in March last year, the Health Products Authority (HPA) has received 12 authorization applications from commercial entities using HNB products. Of these, 8 companies had their applications rejected, while 2 others were asked to provide additional information to complete the evaluation.


Russell Ying, head of the Tobacco Control Division at the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), stated that the agency has appointed a panel of toxicology, public health, and addiction experts to assess requests for authorization to use specific HNB products. The panel has already held 30 meetings and all applicants can expect a fair evaluation as long as they provide all necessary information.


Russell Ying pointed out that since the primary responsibility of the HPA is to protect the health of children and the public, and strict standards need to be enforced before accepting manufacturer's claims, the evaluation process inevitably takes time. As a result, some companies are required to provide additional data, which typically requires one to three months.


Restrictions on the marketing and sale of new tobacco products, collection of tobacco taxes, and other regulatory matters will be carefully considered after the evaluation of all applications is completed.


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