Taiwan grants conditional approval for heated tobacco products

Taipei, July 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration (HPA) has conditionally approved the first batch of heated tobacco products for legal sale under the revised Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, the agency announced Tuesday.

The amended act, which took effect on March 22, 2023, fully bans e-cigarettes and adds a health risk assessment mechanism for new types of tobacco products, such as heated tobacco, which must pass a review before they can be manufactured, imported or sold.

According to the HPA, a total of 14 heated tobacco products -- which warm processed tobacco to release a nicotine-containing aerosol -- have received conditional approval for production by two companies.

The agency said it issued notification letters to the companies the same day and noted that the timeline for these products to enter the market will depend on further reviews and product packaging.

HPA Director-General Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍) told reporters that conditional approval is "not a free pass" and said companies must submit regular reports or risk having their approval revoked.

Lo Shu-ying (羅素英), head of the HPA's Tobacco Control Division, said the approval process will follow the same procedures used for traditional tobacco products, including a review of packaging and product contents.

She said the HPA will work with the Customs Administration and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to discuss supporting measures concerning the import of heated tobacco products by individuals and the collection of tobacco surcharges, but only after the current administrative reviews are completed.

Lo added that the review committee placed particular importance on protecting the rights of minors, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups.

According to Lo, companies must meet seven conditions to retain approval, including funding third-party monitoring, reporting usage data to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and maintaining an adverse event reporting system.

They must also disclose new findings on addictiveness, resubmit changes for review, enforce strict age checks and advertising controls, and avoid misleading claims on packaging such as "safer than cigarettes," she said.

"All forms of tobacco are harmful," Lo added.