E-cigarettes in Taiwan

National vaping regulatory framework in Taiwan

In Taiwan, there is no product-specific legislation regulating e-cigarettes; however, the sale of e-cigarettes is heavily restricted if they contain nicotine, and, in practice, their sale is prohibited.

In general, e-cigs are subject to restrictions imposed by the following legislation based on the content of the substance, cannabis-related, nicotine-containing and nicotine-free. The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act does not stipulate explicit terms for the sale, import or manufacture of e-cigarette products since in principle they are not a tobacco product, but this does not mean e-cigs are not subject to any tobacco product-specific restrictions.

Moreover, Article 14 of Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act bans the manufacture, import and sale of any objects in the form of tobacco products. The Ministry of Health and Welfare interprets this in a way that bans e-cigs that resemble traditional combustibles, regardless of the presence of any narcotic/nicotine substance or otherwise.

Similar rules imposed on these devices also apply to e-cig components. Importing components for the assembly of illegal e-cigarette devices is banned, and this includes e-liquid.

The enforcement of these rules is strict. In 2017, the Taiwan Taoyuan District Court prosecuted more than 20 people for the sale and importation of illegal and prohibited e-cigarette products.