Taiwan - plans to ban people from smoking while walking and riding motorbike next year.

November 30, 2009 - Taipei - Taiwan plans to ban people from smoking while walking and riding motorbike next year, an official said Sunday. Wang Chun-yuan, from the Environmental Protection Administration, said the ban is aimed at cutting rubbish caused by dropped cigarette butts and to prevent children from being burned by cigarettes in the hands of smokers.

"When the ban takes effect, people will no longer be able to smoke while walking on the sidewalk or while riding motorbikes. They have to go to designated areas to smoke," he told cable TV channel Sanli TV.

Lin Ching-li, from the John Tung Foundation, the pioneer in Taiwan's anti-smoking campaign, said the proposed ban is following the example of Japan. "Five years ago, the Tokyo Prefecture banned smoking on sidewalk in 23 districts because Tokyo is densely populated and kids often get burned by cigarettes held in the hands of passers-by," she said by phone. "On the sidewalk in these districts, every 100 metres there is a marked area, the size of a bus, for people to smoke," she added.

As for barring motorcyclists from smoking, Lin said it is to prevent road accidents.

Taiwan has taken a series of steps to discourage smoking, including banning indoor smoking, raising surcharge on cigarettes and banning display of cigarettes in shops.

Reference: Taiwan to ban smoking while walking and riding motorbike, Earth Times, 11/29/2009.