Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Taiwan

7th November 2024: Taiwan: Today, Taiwan’s Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan invited officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and other units to report on the “Review on the Prevention of E-cigarettes from Invading Schools and Harming Young People”, press reports. Authorities focused on the rising rate of under-age use of e-cigs and heated tobacco products (HTPs), with Legislator Ko Chih-en citing a MOHW survey that revealed that 16,000 teenagers used HTPs. The discussion also highlighted the need for immediate coordination with social media platforms to remove e-cigarette ads and for the progress of enforcement efforts.
24th October 2024: Taiwan: As of 30th September 2024, the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported over 500,000 inspections of physical and online sales of e-cigarettes and designated tobacco products – such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) – resulting in 1,274 penalties amounting to TWD74,382,667 ($2,316,077). Wang Yumin, legislator from the Kuomintang party, criticised the low penalty rate of about 0.002% from 232,612 inspections conducted from January to September 2024. The ministry’s deputy director, Jia Shuli, said that some cases required administrative procedures for offenders, press reports. No HTPs have been authorised for sale so far.
24th October 2024: Taiwan: Regarding the health risk assessments for heated tobacco products (HTPs), legislator Chen Ying questioned health minister Qiu Taiyuan on whether the review would be concluded by the end of this month. Qiu did not provide a direct answer but mentioned ongoing meetings to address the issue. The Ministry of Health and Welfare previously stated that the review could not be completed due to applicants failing to submit required documents. Chen criticised the ministry for holding 37 review meetings without resolving the technical issues and demanded transparency regarding meeting contents. The ministry’s deputy director, Jia Shuli, said that complete disclosure was not possible until the review was finished. Chen also questioned why the ministry continues to delay, allowing illegal use to flourish and threatening tax revenues and public safety, urging Qiu to clear any obstacles and speed up the review process, press reports.
16th October 2024: Taiwan: Regarding the health risk assessments for heated tobacco products, Chen Shih-chung, minister without portfolio, said that the review deadline for the first batch of applicants is imminent, with a key decision from the Ministry of Health and Welfare expected by the end of the year. If there are no assessment review results disclosed, Chen suggested involving neutral third parties, such as Academia Sinica and the National Health Research Institutes, to consider how to make the review process clearer. Half of the 12 companies that applied for assessments are undergoing substantive review, but no products have been approved yet, press reports.
9th October 2024: Taiwan: The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s draft law on “Prohibited Additives in Tobacco Products” finished its public notice period yesterday, 8th October, gathering over 12,000 comments. Lo Su-ying, head of the Tobacco Control Division Team at the ministry, said the public comments include calls for a full ban on flavoured tobacco, concerns about additives, bans on specific types, limits on use, a transitional period, and post-market inspections. The draft includes a ban on 27 additives, such as vanillin and maltol. Expert meetings with toxicology and legal specialists will be held soon to discuss potential adjustments to the draft law, press reports. It would apply to tobacco products, including heated tobacco products – although none have yet been approved in Taiwan – if in the future they are granted permission for import and production.
12th September 2024: Taiwan: No heated tobacco products (HTPs) in Taiwan have yet passed the health risk assessment required by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which is necessary before they can be sold, press reports. Although the ministry had initially estimated that the results would be available by October, delays have occurred as companies continue to submit additional documents. The release of the results may be further delayed, depending on how quickly the companies provide the required information. Lo Su-ying, head of the Tobacco Control Division Team at the ministry, noted that 12 companies have applied for the assessment, with 6 currently in the review stage. However, all are still providing supplementary information, such as epidemiological monitoring data on people under 20 and susceptible groups.
12th August 2024: Taiwan: On 8th August, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a draft law titled “Prohibited Additives in Tobacco Products”, which updates the previous ban on four flavours (which has not yet been implemented) established in the 2023 Amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. The new draft law expands this prohibition to include 27 types of additives. It will apply to tobacco products, including heated tobacco products – although none have yet been approved in Taiwan – if they are granted permission for import and production.
11th July 2024: Taiwan: On the progress of reviewing the listing of heated tobacco products (HTPs), health and welfare minister Chiu Tai-Yuan said the expert panel in the ministry is actively reviewing applications, holding review meetings every week. Currently, about 12 companies are interested in applying, with 4 that are in progress but require additional documentation for the health risks assessment. The ministry’s relevant review process can be released to the public and will accelerate the process. Chiu made these remarks in response to a question from Kuomintang party legislator You Hao, who pointed out that HTPs have not yet been given permission for import and listing, resulting in widespread smuggling and hindering tobacco tax collection by the government, press reports.
2nd July 2024: Taiwan: The assessment of the health risks of heated tobacco products (HTPs), which could result in their legalisation, is being undertaken by a review committee that meets three to four times a month, said Wu Zhaojun, director-general of the Health Promotion Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In response to a question from Kuomintang legislator Niu Xuting, who suggested partial results be released to address the emergence of a black market and public right-to-know concerns, Wu said the results will be announced once the manufacturers provide the initially requested information and can convince the review committee of the need for legalisation. Meanwhile, Chiu Tai-Yuan, health and welfare minister, said he would recommend Niu’s suggestion to the committee, press reports.
11th June 2024: Taiwan: During the legislative session, legislator Huang Jianbin asked executive president Zhuo Rongtai and minister of health and welfare Qiu Taiyuan to set an exact date for the listing of heated tobacco in order to resolve the black market problem, as the products have been under health risk assessment for more than a year, press reports. In response, the authorities said that the health risk assessment was still underway and that a definite date could not be given.
6th June 2024: Taiwan: The National Health Administration is currently reviewing applications from 12 manufacturers for premarket review of heated tobacco products (HTPs), and 3 companies have entered the substantive review stage and need to provide additional information, press reports. Civil society organisations have called attention to the four-year premarket review that HTPs have gone through in the US, and say Taiwan should also be more stringent in its review process.
21st March 2023: Taiwan: Amendments to tobacco legislation banning all types of e-cigarette and regulating heated tobacco products will come into force tomorrow. Heated tobacco products will have to undergo a health risk assessment before they can be sold in Taiwan. E-cigarette retailers risk fines of between TWD200,000 ($6,500) and TWD1m ($32,800), while anyone caught vaping could be fined TWD2,000 ($65) to TWD10,000 ($328).

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