Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) in January announced a new initiative aimed at limiting smoking in public spaces in the city. Under the “smoke-free city” plan, people would only be able to smoke in designated smoking areas or rooms established by the city government. Chiang hopes to implement the plan by the end of this year.
Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said the plan is possible under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法), which allows authorities to designate outdoor areas as smoke-free.
A Health Promotion Administration survey showed that exposure to secondhand smoke in Taiwan reached 48.9 percent in 2024, the main culprits being outdoor passages, streets, and sidewalks outside convenience stores and restaurants.
Inhaling secondhand smoke increases the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and lung cancer for non-smokers. That nearly half of all Taiwanese are involuntarily exposed to such risks is a cause for concern, particularly considering that only 12.8 percent of adults in Taiwan reportedly smoke.
The goal of a smoke-free Taipei is commendable, but expecting it to be fully realized by the end of the year is perhaps over-ambitious.
Inspired by facilities in Japan, Chiang has proposed installing negative-pressure smoking rooms in the Zhongshan (中山) and Ximending (西門町) shopping districts, but creating rooms in two areas alone would hardly suffice in a bustling and crowded city spanning 12 districts.
Maji Square in Yuanshan Plaza illustrated this issue weeks ago, when a video of venue personnel shooing away bargoers made rounds on social media.
To avoid crowds and indoor areas, many of the venue’s customers who smoke are accustomed to gathering outside it, hundreds of meters away from the plaza’s most popular nightclubs. However, to enforce the smoke-free policy, venue personnel began removing people from the area and directing them to the designated smoking area.
The plaza has a single smoking area, large enough to accommodate about 10 people. It is just outside the bathrooms and near a primary exit, getting significant foot traffic on busy nights.
It is reasonable to expect people to smoke in a place where they would not impact the health of bystanders, but it is unreasonable to direct them to an area that lacks adequate space and would cause them to expose more passersby to secondhand smoke than they previously would have.
Before enforcing the policy, the city must create the infrastructure necessary to meet demand. Otherwise, the initiative risks creating confusion, frustration and limited compliance.
Implementation should also consider the public’s behavior patterns and urban design. Taipei’s streets and plazas are not only hubs for shopping, eating and entertainment, but also social spaces, where smokers and non-smokers often share the same environment.
The city must provide sufficient, well-maintained smoking rooms and clear signs, and have promotional materials and clear enforcement measures. Step-by-step, the city could transition to a model that respects the rights of smokers, as well as others’ right to clean air.
Although this plan is being enacted at the local level, it would benefit the entire nation to adopt a broader perspective.
Local measures might help reduce secondhand smoke exposure in high-traffic areas, but continuing to address Taiwan’s smoking culture is a crucial step. The nation has achieved notable success in reducing tobacco use over the past few decades, but some statistics deserve attention.
One is the significant gender disparity among smokers. More than 20 percent of adult men in Taiwan smoke — about five times as many as women — but smoking rates among women have nearly doubled since 2018.
Another is that although e-cigarettes has been illegal since 2023, flavored cigarettes remain popular among high-school students, and heated tobacco products are growing increasingly popular.
To truly protect public health, nationwide strategies to decrease the prevalence of all kinds of smoking must continue to complement local initiatives.
Taipei’s “smoke-free city” plan is an important opportunity. If executed carefully — with sufficient facilities, thoughtful planning and proper enforcement — it could dramatically reduce secondhand smoke exposure and improve public spaces.
As the nation’s capital, Taipei should set an example for other municipalities in balancing public health, urban life and individual freedoms. A smoke-free Taipei is attainable, but cannot be rushed. Adequate infrastructure must precede enforcement, and the public’s response should guide the program’s implementation.
Through a calculated approach, Taipei can demonstrate that it is possible to protect public health and improve outdoor environments, offering a blueprint for the rest of Taiwan to follow.
