2025-10-25

Exclusive / Has Taiwan Pride Turned into an International Vaping Parade? WHO: 119 Countries Tax and Regulate E-Cigarettes

編輯部 2025-10-25

外國遊客參加2025臺灣同志遊行，違法抽電子菸慶祝，台灣菸草減害協會呼籲國際活動主辦方應加強台灣法規宣導。圖：台灣威卜菸草減害網路媒體VAPE TAIWAN記者拍攝。

The 2025 Taiwan LGBT+ Pride Parade kicked off today (the 25th), drawing 150,000 participants from home and abroad who took to the streets undeterred by wind and rain to champion diversity and equality. However, reporters from the harm-reduction media outlet VAPE TAIWAN observed on site that, alongside the sea of rainbow flags, the air was thick with the scent of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs). Many foreign attendees were seen using vape or HTPs, becoming another striking feature of this year’s event.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest 2024 figures, 119 countries worldwide currently tax and regulate e-cigarettes, while 34 countries have opted for a total sales ban. The WHO notes that regulatory approaches to e-cigarettes and HTPs vary widely: many countries favor strict taxation and market oversight over blanket prohibitions, in an effort to balance consumer safety and public health.

On heated tobacco, WHO data indicate the products are legally available in countries including Japan, South Korea, and several European nations and are subject to stringent regulatory controls. Japan and South Korea have legalized e-cigarettes and HTPs for years, and multiple EU member states require disclosure of product contents and prominent health warnings—gradually building a more transparent policy framework for tobacco harm reduction.

Photo: Foreign participants vaping at the 2025 Taiwan Pride Parade.

Taiwan Still Bans E-Cigarettes; Limited HTPs Conditionally Approved for Two Firms

Contrasting with international trends, Taiwan’s current Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act still imposes a comprehensive ban on the manufacture, import, sale, and advertising of e-cigarettes. (In 2025, the Ministry of Health and Welfare [MOHW] proposed further amendments—drawing on narcotics-control principles—to additionally prohibit possession of imitation tobacco products.) As for HTPs, on July 29, 2025 the MOHW for the first time conditionally approved 14 products from two companies following health risk assessments, marking a cautious step toward limited market access for HTPs in Taiwan.

Specifically, the Taiwan branch of Switzerland-based Philip Morris International received approval for 8 items (IQOS & TEREA), while Japan Tobacco International obtained approval for 6 items (Ploom & Mevius). Under MOHW rules, companies must comply with strict requirements on packaging and labeling, advertising restrictions, and sales channels before they may lawfully sell these products.

Outside of the above items reviewed and approved by the MOHW’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA), all other e-cigarettes and HTPs remain illegal; travelers and consumers may neither bring them into Taiwan nor use them domestically.

Photo: Foreign participants vaping at the 2025 Taiwan Pride Parade.

THR Association Urges International Event Organizers to Step Up Outreach on Taiwan’s Laws to Prevent Foreign Attendees from Violations

The Taiwan Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (TTHRA) said today (the 25th) that Taiwan Pride is a major international human-rights event drawing visitors and media from over a hundred countries each year. As such, it should also demonstrate a strong commitment to public health and legal compliance. The Association calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MOHW, and international event organizers to strengthen outreach to foreign participants and clearly communicate Taiwan’s current tobacco-control laws.

Under Article 15, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3, and Paragraph 2 of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, no person may import e-cigarettes or specified tobacco products (including HTPs) and their essential components unless the products have passed the official health risk assessment and been approved. Violations are punishable by fines of up to NT$5,000,000; manufacturers or importers engaging in manufacture, import, or advertising face fines ranging from NT$10,000,000 to NT$50,000,000.

The Association noted that many foreign travelers are not intentionally breaking the law; rather, because their home countries allow carrying/using e-cigarettes or HTPs, they mistakenly assume the same applies in Taiwan. Without clear multilingual outreach and on-site guidance, foreign visitors may inadvertently violate local laws—potentially harming Taiwan’s international image.

Photo: Foreign participants using heated tobacco at the 2025 Taiwan Pride Parade.

Equality and Health in Tandem: Building Consensus on Tobacco Harm Reduction

WHO FCTC Smokeless Tobacco certificated tobacco harm reduction advocate Wang Yu-Yang recommends that Taiwan draw on WHO guidance and international tobacco-control experience: while maintaining stringent anti-smoking policies, Taiwan could gradually establish governance and health-tax regimes for harm-reduction products (e-cigarettes, HTPs, nicotine pouches, and nicotine strips), alongside stronger education and risk communication.

Wang argues that the emergence of harm-reduction products reflects a global shift in smoking behavior. With evidence-based review and transparent regulation, these products may help reduce health harms from conventional combusted tobacco and advance the vision of a Smoke-Free Taiwan 2040. Policy design, however, must center on the public interest, with robust safeguards against youth uptake and clear guidance for international travelers to avoid legal gray areas.

This year’s “vaping phenomenon” at Pride again highlights divergences in global tobacco policy and gaps in travelers’ understanding of local regulations. The Taiwan Tobacco Harm Reduction Association urges all sectors: as we advance LGBTQ+ equality, we must also engage with tobacco harm reduction so that freedom and responsibility move forward together—showcasing the maturity of Taiwan’s civil society.

2025 Taiwan LGBT+ Pride | “Hyper-link — Beyond Labels, Toward Understanding.”臺灣同志遊行 Taiwan LGBT+ Pride.

Health Warning: Inhaling tobacco smoke and tar from combusted tobacco causes lung cancer. Quitline: 0800-636363.

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