TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Health Promotion Administration (HPA, 國民健康署) announced on Friday (Dec. 20) that authorities have issued over 3,000 fines for violations of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法) since Nov. 30, totaling nearly NT$20 million. This enforcement follows the Act's amendment on March 22, 2023, which expanded smoke-free zones to include colleges, kindergartens, childcare centers, and home-based childcare locations.
Smoking is prohibited in bars and nightclubs except in designated indoor smoking rooms with independent air conditioning. National parks, scenic areas, forest recreation areas, and parklands have also implemented comprehensive smoking bans outside designated areas. Lo Su-ying (羅素英), an HPA official, reported that, as of Nov. 30, local health bureaus had penalized 1,067 venue managers and 2,874 smokers.
Lo noted that venue managers who fail to display no-smoking signs or provide smoking facilities face fines of up to NT$50,000. Individuals caught smoking in prohibited areas may be fined up to NT$10,000. The agency urges the public to report violations with evidence to local health bureaus or call the toll-free hotline (0800-531531).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), secondhand smoke can cause severe diseases like coronary heart disease and lung cancer and increase the risk of acute respiratory illnesses in children. The Health Promotion Administration emphasizes that smoke-free public spaces not only protect nonsmokers but also motivate smokers to quit.
