Taipei expands smoke-free zones with Taiwan’s first outdoor negative-pressure smoking booths

If you’ve recently visited Taipei’s Ximending shopping district, you may have noticed a new landmark: Taiwan’s first outdoor “negative-pressure smoking booth,” which has now officially opened to the public.

Taipei City is the first in Taiwan to implement comprehensive smoke-free measures in both the Ximending shopping district and Xinzhongshan Linear Park. Authorities will spend May focused on public education and awareness campaigns, with stricter inspections and enforcement beginning June 1. The regulations apply daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and smokers who fail to use designated smoking areas could face fines of up to NT$10,000 (US$310).

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an described the initiative as a major milestone in the city’s “smoke-free city” campaign, saying it represents a step toward a healthier and more pedestrian-friendly urban environment.

He emphasized that the city’s goal is not to ban smoking outright, but to adopt a “managed separation” approach that reduces public exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke and cuts down on smoking while walking.

Public support continues to grow

Taipei City has gradually promoted smoke-free environments at major public events since last year, including the Lunar New Year market and this year’s Taipei Lantern Festival at venues in Ximending and Expo Park.

According to the city government’s latest public opinion survey, both events received satisfaction ratings exceeding 90%. The survey also found that 96.2% of respondents supported applying similar regulations at large-scale events and crowded public spaces. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of respondents supported the installation of outdoor negative-pressure smoking booths and designated open-air smoking areas.

As a result, Taipei authorities have adopted a “hotspot-first” strategy inspired by policies in Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, and Singapore. The city plans to gradually expand designated outdoor smoking zones across busy shopping districts, major roads, and commercial office areas.

Taipei to expand designated smoking areas 

To support the rollout of the new policy, Taipei City has already installed five smoking booths across Ximending, Xinzhongshan Linear Park, and a nearby parking facility.

Three are located in Ximending, near MRT Ximen Station exits 4 and 6, as well as outside a Watsons store on Wuchang Street. The remaining two are located at the Xingyi Bus Parking Lot in Zhongzheng District and near MRT Zhongshan Station exit 4 at Xinzhongshan Linear Park.

The city has also added 63 hedge-style outdoor smoking areas, while individual government departments have established another 50 outdoor smoking zones. Officials say the program will eventually expand to Dunhua North and South Roads, Xinyi Road, selected demonstration neighborhoods across Taipei’s 12 districts, and several outdoor parking lots.

At the same time, Taipei is promoting smoking cessation and information services. Residents can use the “TaipeiPASS” app and the “Taipei Dashboard” platform to locate legal smoking areas throughout the city.

The Department of Health also provides smoking cessation medication programs, counseling services, smoking cessation classes, and a free quit-smoking hotline at 0800-636363.

Taipei Department of Health Commissioner Huang Chien-hua stressed that designated smoking areas are not intended to encourage smoking, but to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in public spaces and gradually build a healthier urban environment.

Taiwan debates future smoking policies

The issue has gained additional attention after the British Parliament recently passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introducing a “smokefree generation” policy that would permanently ban anyone born after 2009 from purchasing cigarettes. The proposal has become one of the world’s most closely watched anti-smoking measures and has sparked debate in Taiwan over whether similar legislation should be adopted.

However, Taiwan remains divided between supporters of stricter smoking bans and advocates of harm-reduction alternatives.

The Taiwan Anti-Smoking Alliance has expressed support for the “smoke-free generation” concept, but argues that any future restrictions in Taiwan should cover not only traditional cigarettes, but also e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches.

The group warned that banning only conventional cigarettes while allowing alternative products could simply push younger users toward new forms of nicotine addiction.

Wang Yu-yang, a representative of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free Taiwan (FSFT), criticized Taiwan’s current Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act for relying too heavily on prohibition and penalties, according to Economic Daily News. He argued that the approach has contributed to the growth of illegal e-cigarette markets and created regulatory gray areas.

Wang called on the government to acknowledge the potential harm-reduction role of alternative nicotine products, rather than pursuing what he described as an overly restrictive ban-based policy.

In response to the growing international trend, Health and Welfare Minister Shih Chung-liang said the government will continue studying and evaluating whether a “smoke-free generation” policy should eventually be introduced in Taiwan.