Smokers in elevators to face fines

Chao Kun-yu, deputy director of the Bureau of Health Promotion under the DOH, said inspections of local public health authorities show there is still rampant smoking inside these “closed premises” in violation of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.

The latest decree issued by the DOH will serve as a fresh reminder to both smokers and business owners to comply with the anti-smoking rules concerning public places, Chao said.

Company owners are also required to put up “no-smoking” signs inside elevator cars and conference rooms.

Repeat offenders will be slapped with repeat fines if they fail to rectify the situation within prescribed period of time until they redress the problem.

Chao and Lin Ching-li, a foundation director in charge of public affairs at the anti-smoking John Tung Foundation, said there are still many complaints at smoking in office premises.

They attributed the situation to the appeasement and condoning of business owners, many of themselves are heavy smokers.

But smoking in public places that poses health hazards to other coworkers should not be condoned.

Nonsmokers also complained about the more prevailing smoking in stairways inside office buildings.

DOH officials said the existing regulations in the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act passed by the Legislative Yuan can only prohibit smoking at various places in general descriptive terms.

There is still a need for lawmakers to support and pass the stricter rules for sweeping ban on smoking at all public places, they said.

New and more stringent anti-smoking rules are still unable to clear the floor of the Legislative Yuan due to obstruction from some lawmakers.

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