TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s first legally approved heated tobacco products appeared in stores Friday but were removed the same day after inspectors found their packaging did not comply with nicotine-content labeling regulations.
In response to public concerns over how noncompliant products reached the market, Vice Minister Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said Monday that health risk assessments were prioritized in the review process. He noted that manufacturers are aware all products must meet legal requirements, including proper labeling, according to Yahoo News.
Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said the recall has been completed. Products can return to stores once labeling has been corrected, per CNA.
Importers could face fines of up to NT$5 million (US$163,408) for packaging violations. Retailers could be fined up to NT$50,000.
Since the 2023 amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, Taiwan has prohibited e-cigarettes entirely while regulating heated tobacco products. Heated tobacco products can only be legally manufactured, imported, or sold after passing a health risk assessment, according to DailyView.
On July 29, the Health Promotion Administration approved 14 heated tobacco products from US and Japanese companies for legal sale. Experts in toxicology, clinical pharmacology, addiction, and public health reviewed each product on a case-by-case basis.
Shih clarified that heated tobacco is classified as a designated tobacco product and requires a health risk assessment before approval for sale, unlike conventional cigarettes. He also reminded the public that e-cigarettes remain banned in Taiwan and should not be obtained through illegal channels or personal importation.
E-cigarettes produce vapor by electronically heating a liquid. Heated tobacco releases nicotine through lower-temperature heating, between 300 C and 500 C, compared with more than 900 C for traditional cigarettes, according to Taichung Veterans General Hospital.
Some civil groups have criticized the conditional approval of flavored heated tobacco products, arguing that it undermines the 2023 amendment’s intent to prohibit additives in tobacco products. They warned that allowing flavored heated tobacco could have an irreversible impact on youth, per CNA.
