Taipei: Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration (HPA) has conditionally approved the first batch of heated tobacco products for legal sale under the revised Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, the agency announced Tuesday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the amended act, which took effect on March 22, 2023, fully bans e-cigarettes and introduces a health risk assessment mechanism for new types of tobacco products, such as heated tobacco. These products must pass a review before they can be manufactured, imported, or sold. The HPA has granted conditional approval to 14 heated tobacco products, produced by two companies, which warm processed tobacco to release a nicotine-containing aerosol.

The agency has issued notification letters to the companies, indicating that the timeline for these products to enter the market will depend on further reviews and product packaging. HPA Director-General Wu Chao-chun emphasized that conditional approval is "not a free pass," and companies must submit regular reports or risk having their approval revoked.

Lo Shu-ying, head of the HPA's Tobacco Control Division, noted that the approval process will mirror that of traditional tobacco products, including reviews of packaging and product contents. The HPA will collaborate with the Customs Administration and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to discuss import measures and tobacco surcharge collection, pending the completion of current administrative reviews.

Lo stressed the importance of protecting minors, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups. Companies must meet seven conditions to retain approval, such as funding third-party monitoring, reporting usage data to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and maintaining an adverse event reporting system. They must also disclose new findings on addictiveness, submit changes for review, enforce strict age checks and advertising controls, and avoid misleading claims like "safer than cigarettes."

"All forms of tobacco are harmful," Lo reiterated.