Amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act makes vapers persona non grata but maybe it’s doing them a favor

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vapers are feeling the heat of change in Taiwan as the government is set to deprive them of the electronic cigarettes that deliver flavorful doses of nicotine, up to 2,000 other chemicals, and optional infusions of the cannabinoid THC.

Many of these individuals picked up the habit abroad, mostly in the U.S., which leads the vaping industry and exports its products all over the world. The global market for e-cigarettes has an estimated value of US$8.28 billion and the U.S. comprises approximately one-third of this, with annual growth of about 3.87%.

In terms of “soft drugs” like tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis, the U.S. and some other Western countries have “progressed” to a point where the “war on drugs” is giving way to business as usual. They are just another avenue for tax revenue.

As for e-cigarettes, the international lobbyists of a well-organized and funded vaping industry trumpet “healthy” outcomes, achieving a “smokeless” or “smoke-free” society, and greenwashed claims that vaping is good for the environment.

Taiwan, it seems, is not falling for the hype and mid-January saw a third reading of the amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法), which marks a ban on the import, sale, and manufacture of e-cigarettes. This means the bill should become law by mid-February.

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