E-cigarette vaping in Taiwan
Data sourced:
2023.
Page updated:
2023-05-17
The legal situation in Taiwan is confusing and e-cigarettes currently exist via a legal loophole. Officially, retailers need a license under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act to sell e-cigarettes and none have been approved. Taiwan has a Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (1997), but this apparently cannot regulate e-cigarettes as they contain no tobacco. In 2017 it was reported that the executive branch of the Taiwanese government, the Executive Yuan, was considering an amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act which would result in a total ban on the sale of all vaping products, whether they contain nicotine or not. The new law would codify the ban and result in harsh punishments for violations. The penalty for manufacturing or importing e-cigarettes would range from NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 ($1650-8250 in U.S. dollars). Sales and use of e-cigarette products in non-smoking areas would be punished by a fine ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 ($330-1650 US$).
Prevalence
Year |
Value |
Reference/Comment |
2014
|
200.7 thousand |
1A
A
|
2018
|
122.5 thousand |
1B
|
2020
|
349.7 thousand |
1B
|
References:
- 1. Chen, Y.L., et al. (2018) E-Cigarette use in a country with prevalent tobacco smoking: A population based study in Taiwan. Journal of Epidemiology, 2018. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20170300. [Epub ahead of print].
2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- 1. Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Jul. 2021
2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
Comments:
- Data is from the National survey of substance use in Taiwan 2014. Current = past year use, Ever tried = lifetime use.
World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
Year |
Value |
Reference/Comment |
2014
|
1% |
2A
A
|
2018
|
0.6% |
2B
|
2020
|
1.7% |
2B
|
References:
- Chen, Y.L., et al. (2018) E-Cigarette use in a country with prevalent tobacco smoking: A population based study in Taiwan. Journal of Epidemiology, 2018. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20170300. [Epub ahead of print].
- Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Jul. 2021
Comments:
- Data is from the National survey of substance use in Taiwan 2014. Current = past year use, Ever tried = lifetime use.
Year |
Value |
Reference/Comment |
2018
|
0.2% |
2A
|
2020
|
0.9% |
2A
|
References:
- Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Jul. 2021
Year |
Value |
Reference/Comment |
2018
|
0.9% |
2A
|
2020
|
2.6% |
2A
|
References:
- Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Jul. 2021
References:
- 1. Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Jul. 2021
2. Calculation based on population size data of people over 15 years of age (16+). Source of population data: World Population Prospects 2019 [Internet]. United Nations; 2019. (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, editor. Population Division). Report No.: Rev. 1. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
- Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Jul. 2021
- Chen, Y.L., et al. (2018) E-Cigarette use in a country with prevalent tobacco smoking: A population based study in Taiwan. Journal of Epidemiology, 2018. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20170300. [Epub ahead of print].
Comments:
- Data is from the National survey of substance use in Taiwan 2014. Current = past year use, Ever tried = lifetime use.
Regulation
Year |
Value |
Reference/Comment |
2017 or earlier
|
Allowed |
1A
|
2023
|
Banned |
1B
A
|
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team.
However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice.
We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product
categories can change at short notice and with little publicity.
If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region,
you should verify the information independently.
If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details
and any references and we will rectify any errors.