Taiwan's health authorities dispatched inspectors yesterday (January 11) to check on the newly amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act that now bans indoor smoking in public facilities.

Despite a prevention campaign organised 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 (US$300) 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 (US$1,500) 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 theatres, 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.

Some establishments such as hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and nursing homes for the elderly are allowed to have special smoking areas. However, these establishments are likely to prohibit smoking altogether in light of the strict requirements for setting up smoking rooms.

Under the new regulation, the air-flow standards for these smoking rooms are similar to the requirements for quarantine wards for highly contagious patients, which means expensive construction with costs of at least NT$400,000 (US$12,000) per unit.

On the other hand, airports have closed their smoking rooms and local air carriers are barred from selling cigarettes to passengers during flights under the new law.

Meanwhile, in Taichung, the local health department also issued its first ticket to a hypermarket for displaying cigarettes on shelves that are accessible to consumers.

In a bid to discourage violations of the ban, health authorities are offering rewards to people who report such violations.

Anyone who spots people smoking in a no-smoking area can call in on the hotline 0800-531-531.

However, in order to receive the reward, the informant must provide material evidence, such as photos of individuals caught in the act, so that the authorities can levy a fine.

Under the law, the last public places in which smoking is allowed indoors are nightclubs or bars that do not admit patrons under the age of 18 after 9pm.

In addition to implementing the indoor smoking ban, the Cabinet-level Department of Health is currently lobbying the Legislative Yuan to pass a bill to increase the health tax on tobacco products from the current NT$10 to NT$20, which will raise the unit price of cigarettes from the average NT$55 per pack to NT$70 per pack.