Smoke-free initiative expanded in Ximending

Taipei is expanding its smoke-free initiative with a new ban on smoking in the pedestrian zones of the popular Ximending shopping area and at the entrance to Exit No. 4 of the Ximen MRT Station. The ban, effective tomorrow, is part of the city government's broader efforts to create a smoke-free environment.

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Smoking in the pedestrian zones of Taipei’s Ximending shopping area and at the entrance to Exit No. 4 of Ximen MRT Station would be banned starting tomorrow as part of efforts to make Taipei a smoke-free city.

Under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, individuals caught smoking in the newly designated non-smoking areas, except in officially permitted smoking zones, will be subject to fines of up to NT$10,000. The Taipei Department of Health initially outlined the non-smoking zones along several key roads in Ximending, including Zhonghua Road Sec 1, Xining S Road, Chengdu Road, and Hankou Street Sec 2. A subsequent notice expanded this ban to include areas around Yanping S Road, Xiushan Street, and Hengyang Road, encompassing the MRT station entrance.

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Except in designated smoking areas, violators would face fines of up to NT$10,000 under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.

To accommodate smokers, the Department of Health has also increased the number of designated smoking locations throughout Taipei to 201. This includes six negative-pressure smoking chambers, with a new one opening yesterday near Xinzhongshan Linear Park, behind Exit No. 1 of Shuanglian MRT Station. Other chambers are located near Ximen MRT Station and other public areas. The department reminds all travelers in the designated zones to seek out permitted smoking areas to avoid penalties.

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The Department of Health added yesterday that the second negative-pressure smoke chamber near Xinzhongshan Linear Park commenced operations yesterday, bringing the number of permitted smoking locations throughout Taipei to 201 and the total number of negative-pressure smoking chambers in the city to six.