Taipei, March 1 (CNA) Taiwan could set a good example of tobacco control in Asia if it ensures a smoke-free environment and passes amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (THPA), anti-tobacco groups said in a regional workshop Wednesday in Taipei.
"We urge the legislature to pass amendments to the THPA in this session, " said Ted Chen, a professor at Tulane University who also serves as the president of the 2007 Asian Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT).
If Taiwan takes the first step in setting stricter regulations on tobacco control, the other Asian countries will follow, said Dr. Judith Mackay, director of Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, who is based in Hong Kong.
The THPA, passed in 1997, provides the legal basis for Taiwan's tobacco control efforts. The Executive Yuan has already proposed amendments to the THPA based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and the bill is
currently pending in the legislature.
Aside from the amendments, Taiwan should promote the regulation and administration of a smoke-free environment, which includes all indoor public spaces and working space, said Huang Song-lih, General Secretary of the Taiwan International Medical Alliance (TIMA).
TIMA also advocates a ban on all tobacco advertisement in magazines and points of sales, the regulation of smoking scenes in films and on TV, and a ban on the sponsorship of any event by a tobacco company in order to achieve a smoke-free Taiwan.
The Regional Workshop on Women and Tobacco Control is a three-day meeting co-organized by TIMA and Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA).