Taipei:Smoking will be prohibited in the Xinyi Shopping District near the MRT's Taipei City Hall station starting November 1. Violators will face fines of up to NT$10,000 (US$318) following a one-month grace period that begins on Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, two new negative-pressure smoking rooms were opened near MRT Taipei City Hall Station on Wednesday, bringing the total to 12 since the first was inaugurated in Ximending on May 7. These facilities were built with donations from civic groups, including the Rotary Club of Taipei Hwashan, as part of Taipei's cigarette-free initiative.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an expressed gratitude to the organizations supporting the city's vision during the inauguration of the new facilities. Meanwhile, Taipei Department of Health Commissioner Huang Chien-hua announced that the smoke-free zone includes the area around Exits 2 and 3 of the MRT Taipei City Hall Station, with fines ranging from NT$2,000 to NT$10,000 starting November 1.

The smoke-free area is defined by Songren Road to the east, Section 1 of Keelung Road to the west, Songgao Road to the south, and Section 5 of Zhongxiao East Road to the north, including the sidewalks along these boundaries. During the grace period, Department of Health staff will promote the smoke-free zone, while personnel will be dispatched according to the shopping district's business hours to provide guidance and conduct inspections starting in November.

As reported by the Department of Health, Taipei's 12 designated negative-pressure smoking areas, opened in stages since May 7, have recorded a cumulative 535,258 visits as of August 31.