New tobacco control strategy: Legislation and implementation

The Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act has finally passed amendment in June 2007 after a ten-year odyssey. The amended Act was enforced on 11 Jan 2009 with an eighteen-month grace. New bans included graphic warnings, ingredients and emissions disclosure, advertisement restriction, display and labeling restriction, prohibiting indoor smoking and outdoor public places except designated areas.

The new rules impacted millions of shops, restaurants, workplaces, public transportations, schools, and public venues. The success of the enforcement relied on government and non-government departments. Communication became extremely important via diversified media, interpersonal contact and inter-sectoral cooperation: over 20,000 talks, sending letters to each parent through education system, spokespersons like Minister, mayors, and other celebrities advocating for new regulations. Quit-lines and new-law-counseling lines were set to helped resolve complaints.

In order to enforce the law thoroughly, trainings for execution and simulation exercises were practiced in advance. Nationwide pre-enforcement tests were performed for 5 times before the effective date. Meetings for high rank health officers were held 3 times. The Director-General visited eight county magistrates and city mayors for support.

The bans were gradually known according to several surveys: February 19%, June 33%, December 87% in 2008.

Telephone survey was done one month after enforcement, 94.6% knew the new bans of smoking in public places, the highest area was in the north (97.3%). 92% were satisfied the improvement of smoke-free environment, where they felt improved most were restaurants 47.8%, workplaces 17.1 %, the railway stations 14.5%.