Cabinet seeks tougher penalties on e-cigarettes to curb etomidate use

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) The Cabinet on Thursday proposed fines of between NT$30,000 (US$943) and NT$100,000 for individuals found in possession of electronic cigarettes, which are banned in Taiwan, as part of efforts to curb the circulation of the illegal narcotic etomidate.

The proposed amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act also recommends the same range of fines for individuals found in possession of electronic cigarette components, though it does not define what constitutes such components.

Although electronic cigarettes, a primary means of consuming etomidate, are illegal in Taiwan, there are currently no penalties for possessing them, leading to their continued use, Health Promotion Administration Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) told a weekly Cabinet news conference.

Another proposal unveiled Thursday would introduce criminal penalties for the manufacture and importation of electronic cigarettes. Those who manufacture or import more than 1,000 units would face up to seven years in prison and a potential fine of up to NT$5 million.

Those who manufacture or import fewer than 1,000 units with a net weight of less than 100 kilograms would face up to three years in prison and a potential fine of up to NT$3 million.

Individuals who sell, supply, or display more than 100 electronic cigarettes would face up to three years in prison and a potential fine of up to NT$3 million.

Less serious offenses involving fewer than 100 units with a net weight of less than 10 kilograms would carry a prison term of up to one year and a potential fine of up to NT$1 million.

Shen said that because electronic cigarettes are not banned in some countries, travelers who attempt to bring fewer than five electronic cigarettes or related components through customs would face an administrative fine of between NT$200,000 and NT$1 million.

However, offenders caught smuggling electronic cigarettes within one year of a previous offense would face up to one year in prison, detention, or a fine of up to NT$1 million, Shen said.

"The widespread use of electronic cigarettes has fueled the spread of etomidate and other emerging narcotics, posing a serious threat to society and schools," Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said during the weekly Cabinet meeting.

The proposals are intended to curb illicit products at their source by cracking down on the manufacture, importation, supply, display, sale and possession of electronic cigarettes, Cho said.

Cho also instructed relevant authorities to proactively communicate with legislative caucuses to facilitate the proposals' swift passage.