Page 137 - TAIWAN TOBACCO CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

The Administration plans to add definitions of e-cigarettes in the draft amendment of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act and include e-cigarettes in the definitions of smoking, tobacco product advertisement, and tobacco product sponsorship. The goal is to clearly stipulate smoking bans in non-smoking areas, advertisement and sponsorship bans, and prohibition of e-cigarette use by minors under the age of 18 and pregnant women as well as sale to minors. The first reading of this draft amendment in the Legislative Yuan was completed on December 29, 2017. The amended act will contain more clearly formulated provisions governing e-cigarette management. Tobacco Ingredients Disclosure and Regulations Developments in the Testing and Research of Tobacco Products Tobacco product The regulation of tobacco emission In view of the fact that burning of tobacco releases substances endangering human health such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, Taiwan authorized the formulation of Regulations Governing Nicotine and Tar Content Measurement and Container Labeling for Tobacco Items pursuant to Article 8 of the newly amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act which took effect on March 27, 2009. As of April 1, 2009, the maximum allowed nicotine and tar content of every cigarette has been adjusted to 1mg/pce and 10mg/pce, respectively, pursuant to Article 7 of said regulations. Research into tobacco testing techniques Testing and monitoring techniques were gradually developed for evaluating the quantities of nicotine, tar, and carbon dioxide contents of cigarettes being sold in the public and identify any trends. Content testing and assay techniques for primary carcinogenic substances including nitrosamine (N-nitrosonornicotine, or NNN), 4-methylnitrosamino-1-3-pyridyl-1-butanone (NNK), N-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), and N-nitrosoanabasine (NAB) as well as heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and selenium) within cigarettes and tobacco leaves. In addition to compiling information on developments of tobacco product technologies from around the world, the HPA also collected information on control measures, technical research, and means of monitoring hazardsous substances within tobacco products such as nicotine and tar in order to establish a basis for testing and identifying disqualified tobacco products mentioned in Article 7 of The Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act. Establishing testing and monitoring data From July 2001, sampling tests were carried out for nicotine and tar contents in cigarettes sold in the market. Carbon monoxide was also added as a test item from 2006. The testing of nicotine and tar contents would follow relevant testing conditions and laboratory testing procedures stipulated in the relevant international standard organization (ISO) specifications In 2018, a total of 57 types of main tobacco items including 18 types of domestic cigarettes, 33 types of imported cigarettes and 5 types of imported cigarettes from China sold in the market were selected for inspection on the contents of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. The nicotine and tar 135 Research, Monitoring, and International Exchange