Indoor smoking ban enforced

Despite a prevention campaign organized in recent weeks, several people received a warning for smoking in restaurants, office buildings, taxis and around public establishments such as hospitals and airports, while some business owners received the first fines.

Yesterday morning, inspectors from Taipei City's Department of Health (DOH) gave the first ticket to a hot pot restaurant located in the commercial area near Taipei Train Station for failing to post a no-smoking sign on its premises. “We will give the owners three days to come up with a reasonable explanation,” said a DOH official, adding that the restaurant will be fined NT$10,000 if it fails to comply.

“Although most of the businesses in the area have followed the new rules, we found some infractions at hotels and cram schools, where the no-smoking signs were not very obvious,” said Taipei City DOH Director Allen Chu. “We gave them a warning, and will go back soon to check on them.”

He reminded the public that smoking is now prohibited on public transportation and in the indoor areas of most public establishments, including roofed transport stations, KTVs, Internet cafes and comic book stores.

According to the revisions to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, smoking in indoor workplaces manned by three or more people and in the majority of other public indoor spaces could result in a fine of up to NT$50,000 for the businesses and NT$10,000 for the individuals involved.

Yet Chu warned that there are still some gray areas in the law, citing hospital grounds as an example: “The delimitation of a hospital's ground is more problematic.”

“It is up to the central government to make the final interpretation of the law,” he pointed out.

Taiwan became the 17th country in the world to ban smoking indoors at public facilities by law, prohibiting smoking in theaters, restaurants, office buildings and public establishments, in the first step toward a government goal to make the country smoke-free.

Health authorities estimate that half a million establishments could be affected by the new law, which became effective after its 18-month grace period expired. The amended law passed the legislature in June 2007.

So far, the current law does not extend to those who smoke on their balconies, rooftops or courtyards of apartment complexes.

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