Smoke free Taiwan
Updated at 22 Apr 2013, 15:58
The new law, due to take effect on Jan 11th 2009, will bring Taiwan to become a smoke free country following the footsteps of other 16 countries. According to the new regulations, smoking is prohibited in indoor workplaces with three or more persons working together and indoor public areas.
Only the restaurants, shopping malls, hotels, the senior citizens welfare institutions can establish legally indoor smoking room, which must have independent air-conditioning systems, independent compartment, negative pressure systems, etc. Most importantly, the indoor smoking room cannot provide any services other than a place to smoke. In other words, the smoking room may not be used for internet surfing, dining, or reading and any other non-smoking-related activities. The average expenses in installing a proper smoking room, according to some prestigious hotels in Taiwan , will be around NTD 1,200,000 (USD36,363).On the last day before the implementation, the Director of Department of Health, Mr. Ching-chuan Yeh, the head of the Bureau of Health Promotion, Ms. Mei-ling Hsiao, the CEO of John Tung Foundation, Mr. Sea-wain Yau , the lifetime volunteer, Ms. Shu-Li Chen , and twin actors and their wives came forward and distributed ?Smoke-free Taiwan? brooch to the pedestrians in front of a department store.
Smoke-free Taiwan! Yes, We Can!