Clarity sought for rules for heated tobacco items

CONFISCATION SANS LAWS? A man told reporters he tried to import Heatsticks, but customs seized them without a clear explanation of what law was breached

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 06, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should clarify the rules governing imports of heated

tobacco products, so people do not attempt to bring them through customs only to have them confiscated, Democratic Progressive Party legislators Ho Chih-wei (何志偉) and Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said yesterday.

While he does not encourage smoking, the IQOS tobacco heating system is a less harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes, Ho told a news conference in Taipei, citing a review of the product by the US Food and Drug Administration, which found that it produces lower levels of toxins than cigarettes.

Many people who cannot quit tobacco have switched to the new products, which have a much more subtle smell than traditional cigarettes, making them more acceptable for non-smokers, Ho said.

However, some customs officers have confiscated heated tobacco products, even though they were declared, he said.    [FULL  STORY]