Smoking lawmakers to adjust to smoke-free work...

Inveterate smokers in the legislature are preparing to adjust to a smoke-free work environment from Jan. 11, when Taiwan’s newly amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act becomes effective.

Asked on Friday to comment on the change dictated by law, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said the legislature will do everything in accordance with the law, and that from Jan. 11, none of the legislators, their constituents or staff will be allowed to smoke on the premises of the legislature.

Under the amended Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, smoking is banned in all indoor workplaces staffed by three or more employees.

The law also prohibits smoking in other public indoor areas, such as KTV lounges, bowling alleys, cybercafes, and passenger waiting rooms.

Smoking is also banned, under the law, in outdoor public areas, including train station platforms, gymnasiums, swimming pools, college campuses, and entertainment areas.

Violators will risk fines of between NT$2,000 and NT$10,000 (US$605).

Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Hsi-shan pointed out that under the new law the legislature is not permitted to designate a smoking area within the building and that legislators who wish to smoke will have to do so outside the building.

Lee Hung-chun, a legislator of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) who has been a smoker since he was a student more than 30 years ago, said it may be time now for him to quit the habit because of the inconvenience of finding a place to smoke.

KMT Legislator Tsai Chin-lung, who has already kicked his 30-year habit, encouraged his colleagues to follow his example and quit smoking.

“If they really cannot kick the habit, they must be more observant of the new law than the ordinary public,” he said.

KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-ming said he will respect other people’s right to refuse to inhale second-hand smoke, and that when he feels like smoking, he will go outside the building.

Legislator Ker Chien-ming, the chain-smoking legislative caucus convener of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) , said he still has reservations about whether it might be difficult to comply with the law, but added that he will do his best.

DPP Legislator Pan Meng-an said jokingly that he will probably go into depression because of the new law, but he added, “I am afraid that I may have to quit smoking.”

DPP Legislator Tien Chiu-chin, who has campaigned hard against smoking, said that smoking has become such a serious public hazard that it is necessary to maintain a smoke-free work environment.

She quoted an estimate by the Cabinet-level Department of Health which shows that smoking-induced diseases have cost the Bureau of National Insurance an extra NT$30 billion (US$922.58 million) a year in terms of medical expenses.

Source: http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=819066〈=eng_news

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