Taiwan’s health authorities are seeking to prohibit flavoured tobacco products found appealing to youths, reports Taiwan News.

According to the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), in 2019, about four out of 10 adolescent smokers used flavoured cigarettes, and the products seem to be more popular among girls.
In 2019, there were over 1,200 registered tobacco flavours in Taiwan, with the 10 most common vanilla, floral and fruity flavours, candy, menthol, almond, caramel, butter, cherry, cinnamon, and rose, the report said. The HPA said that youths tend to believe such products have lower health risks and that they underestimate the addictive properties of nicotine. The agency has therefore included restrictions on floral, fruity, chocolate, menthol, and other additives in the proposed amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.
According to the report, the amendment, which is currently under review before its legislative reading, will also regulate novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.