Taiwan Tobacco Research Articles

A Long-Term National Survey of Compliance with the Ban on Selling Tobacco Products to Adolescents of Taiwan's Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.

The data on long-term trends and factors of tobacco retailers’ compliance in Taiwan are limited. The new regulations of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act were established in 2009. Now, the government is planning to raise the minimum legal age (MLA) for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 20, so the results of this study will be an important reference to promote new regulations in the future. We carried out an observational mystery shopping study design and data were collected from 2009 to 2019. In total, 6320 undercover tests were conducted to investigate selling by tobacco retailers to persons aged less than 18 years by an impartial third party annually. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing compliance by adjusting test variables and independent variables. The compliance rate increased by 8.4% annually and was better among tests conducted during summer vacation (AOR = 1.324), chain convenience stores (AOR = 3.651), supermarkets or hypermarkets (AOR = 1.973), and verifications with age (AOR = 15.345). It is the first study to explore long-term and national tobacco retailers’ enforcement effects by an impartial third party in Asia. The findings suggest that local health agencies should enhance enforcement on those stores which were tested during non-summer holidays and weekends, betel nut stands, and grocery stores.

Analyzing Service Quality and Satisfaction by Multivariate Analysis of Variance

Due to the market openness for the competitive tobacco and liquor market, Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation has to pay attention to service quality and customer satisfaction more than before for its retailers in order to maintain its marketplace and even increase its sales. In this research, a case study at South Branch Office in Taichung City, Taiwan is conducted with the effective sample of size of 178 retailing customers through phone purchase by multivariate analysis of variance. The results show that Item 20 has the lowest satisfaction and is the only item less than the value of 3 in a 5-point Likert scale. A platform for retailers to order goods from the internet should be placed in the highest priority. In addition, the age group of 36-45 years old perceived the lowest satisfaction on Item 16, which should be the focal point. Moreover, the other focal point is that the retailers purchasing tobacco through phone purchase has the second lowest satisfaction on Item 17. The management needs to address these two issues in order to provide better service for its retailers.

Selection and oenological comparison of Taiwan Black Queen grape wine yeasts

More than hundreds of private wineries have been established since the Taiwan Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act was enacted on April 19, 2000. It is then essential to screen local wine yeast in order to develop quality wine with unique flavor. Black Queen grape is a main ingredient for red wine brewing in Taiwan. In this study, ethanol productivity of yeasts isolated from spontaneous fermentation of Black Queen grape must (17 and 30 °Brix) was determined. Seven yeasts identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Biolog System with higher ethanol productivity were individually inoculated into Black Queen grape must to undergo fermentation at 25°C for 14 days. The ethanol contents and volatile acidity in wine were above 15% (v/v) and below 0.7 g/L, respectively. Compared to commercial wine yeasts A, B and C, HP01 fermented red wine contained the highest total ester content, color intensity, taste grade, and overall preference value. On the other hand, HS13 fermented red wine contained the highest ethanol, higher alcohols, fatty acids and phenolic compounds content. The mtDNA restriction fragments profiles of these two wine yeast strains were different from those of other yeast strains. Due to their superiority in oenological characteristics, HP01 and HS13 can be applied in Black Queen red wine brewing to produce red wine with unique flavor.

Determination of aflatoxins in liquor products by immuno-affinity column with fluorometry and HPLC

Liquors are the spirits of fermentive products. The oriental fermentation processes use Aspergillus species extensively. However, a few Aspergillus species, especially Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, can produce aflatoxins. Besides, the raw materials for liquor productions are liable to fungal pollution under improper storage conditions. There may have the possibility of aflatoxin contaminaion in the brewing product if the fermentive raw materials are moldy or the fermentation processes are polluted. An immuno-affinity column of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 was used for sample extraction. Subsequently, either a fluorometry determination method or an HPLC analysis with Cosmosil 5C18-AR column was applied for aflatoxin detection. There was no significant difference between the recoveries of these two detection methods when analyzed by ANOVA (α=0.05). The detection limits of all the four aflatoxins were 1 ppb for the fluorometry method. The detection limits of HPLC analysis were 1 ppb for aflatoxin G1 and 0.5 ppb for the others. The fluorometry method is simpler and faster than HPLC analysis, especially when there are many samples to be screened. However, the fluorometry method cannot identify the amount of individual aflatoxin and has higher detection limits than HPLC analysis. Therefore, fluorometry screening requires double amount of sample to compensate for the lower sensitivity of this method. Those fluorescent-positive samples should also be further identified and quantified by HPLC analysis. Using these standard procedures, no aflatoxins were detected in a total of 100 samples obtained between July 1995 and June 1996. These samples comprised 28 domestic liquor products from the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau and 72 liquor products from Mainland China.

Exploiting a low tax system: non-tax-induced cigarette price increases in Taiwan 2011–2016

IntroductionThis study aims to analyse the non-tax-induced price increasing strategies adopted by tobacco industry in Taiwan, a high-income country with comprehensive tobacco control policies but low tobacco taxes and a...

Assessment of 2016 Taiwan tobacco control performance based on WHO MPOWER guidelines

Assessment of 2016 Taiwan tobacco control performance based on WHO MPOWER guidelines

The Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation: To ‘join the ranks of global companies’

ABSTRACTUntil the late 1990s, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL) focused almost exclusively on serving the domestic market as a highly protected monopoly. This paper describes how the company has adopted a more outward looking strategy since 2000, with ambitions to become a regional, and eventually global, business by 2021. Drawing on company documents and industry sources, the paper argues that this shift in strategy was a direct reaction to the decline in domestic market share following liberalisation of the Taiwanese tobacco market and adoption of tougher domestic tobacco control measures. Market opening occurred as a result of pressure from the U.S. Trade Representative in the 1980s, as well as World Trade Organization membership in 2002. It is argued that TTL’s efforts to globalise operations have been limited by bureaucratic company management and structures, and ongoing political tension between Taiwan and China. However, the relative success of TTL’s alcohol branch, and potential détente as the Taiwanese government reaches out to improve relations with China, may provide TTL with new opportunities to achieve its goal of becoming a regional player with global ambitions. This article is part of the special issue ‘The Emergence of Asian Tobacco Companies: Implications for Global Health Governance.’

Cultural variation in antismoking video ads between the United States, Taiwan, and China.

Antitobacco advertisement components, including types of messages and advertising appeals, have not been evaluated among multinational groups. This study identified and compared the content of antismoking video ads across three countries. We reviewed 86 antismoking video advertisements for the following information: severity of the consequences of smoking, types of risks, appeals to audiences' self-efficacy, benefits of not smoking, targeted social-ecological level and types of message appeal used. Two researchers independently coded each advertisement with an average inter-coder reliability of 0.79.Analyses showed a variety of focuses: smoking-related health risks (86%), severe consequences of smoking (54.7%), self-efficacy beliefs (40.7%) and benefits of not smoking (84.9%). Compared to the United States and Taiwanese ads, Chinese ads were more likely to target at the community level (10% versus 23.3% versus 47.2%). Additionally, 55% of the United States ads used the fear approach, whereas 61.1% of Chinese ads used the social approach. Taiwanese ads were evenly distributed among both approaches. In conclusion, the countries used different targeting strategies and approaches during message delivery. Although China's neighboring country, Taiwan, has many similar cultural aspects, including the same language, they are greatly influenced by US antitobacco campaigns. As a result, Taiwan's tobacco campaigns appear to have similar components to both China and the United States. Further research is warranted to understand the reasons for each method and to examine the effectiveness of the ads in reducing smoking rates.

Smoking-related changes or brand switching? Smokers' anticipated responses to a large increase in Taiwan's Tobacco Health and Welfare Surcharge

ObjectivesThis study examines the impact on smokers' behaviour of a planned increase in the Health and Welfare Surcharge of Tobacco Products in Taiwan. Study designThis study used a structured questionnaire to perform telephone interviews. Stratified random sampling was applied to interview current smokers aged 18–65 years in Taiwan. MethodsBased on nationwide survey data of smokers' responses to future increases in cigarette prices, this study used multinomial logistic regression to perform its analyses. ResultsAfter the proposed increase in the Health and Welfare Surcharge of Tobacco Products, subsequent cigarette price increases would motivate nearly 30% of the smokers to adopt smoking-related changes and 10% to change to lower-priced brands. ConclusionsThe study suggests that a large increase in the Health and Welfare Surcharge of Tobacco Products would lead to considerable changes in smoking behaviour, which in turn would increase cessation rate at the population level.

Political perspective analysis of Taiwan's tobacco control policy

Political perspective analysis of Taiwan's tobacco control policy

The risk factors related to smoking behavior and secondhand smoke exposure among adolescents after implementation of the 2009 Taiwan Tobacco Hazards Prevention act

The risk factors related to smoking behavior and secondhand smoke exposure among adolescents after implementation of the 2009 Taiwan Tobacco Hazards Prevention act

Epidemiology of Oral Cavity Cancer in Taiwan with Emphasis on the Role of Betel Nut Chewing

This article reports the epidemiological characteristics and the possible contributing etiology of oral cavity cancer in Taiwan. Data on oral cavity cancer from the period between 1986 and 1997 were compiled from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Annual Report. The amount of average annual consumption per person of cigarettes, alcohol and betel nut were extracted from the Annual Report of Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau and the Agriculture Counsel of Taiwan. The incidence of oral cavity cancer increased annually. Both the total and male incidence have increased substantially since 1993. Regarding the peak incidence, most cases were seen in the sixth to eighth decades of life. Multiple regression models indicated that 86.2% variation in the incidence of oral cavity cancer was explained by the annual average betel nut consumption per person. These results imply that those who chew betel nut belong to a high-risk group and require special consideration and attention regarding health education and health promotion.

The Impact of the Tobacco Market Opening on Smoking Status in Taiwan: Findings from a Secular Smoking Rates Analysis

The forced opening of Taiwan's tobacco market in 1987 has changed the smoking environment. This study analyzes the effects this market opening had on Taiwan's secular smoking rates over 15 years. The data sources used were consumer surveys conducted by the Taiwan Tobacco & Wine Monopoly Bureau 1964-1996, the 2001 National Health Interview Survey, and a series of annual per capita gross national product (GNP) data reported by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting & Statistics. After Taiwan's tobacco market was forced open in 1987 by the U.S. government in trade negotiations, smoking rates rose (7%-10% for males and 39%-75% for females) for the first three years. After the initial 3-year surge, smoking rates gradually declined to 1986 baseline rates or even lower for all groups except females aged 30 and younger, who have shown a small but steady increase in cigarette consumption. Results of multiple regression analysis showed per capita GNP and age to be the two major factors affecting smoking rate change after the Taiwan market opening. National tobacco control policies and campaigns seem to have an impact on tempering the effect of foreign tobacco imports in all groups, except young females, whose rise in smoking rate is significant and alarming.

The behaviour of purchasing smuggled cigarettes in Taiwan

Objective: Since market liberalisation in 1987, the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau (TTWMB) annual statistics indicate that both the demand for imported cigarettes as well as the number of...

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Comparison of questionnaires, cigarette butt counts, and nicotine concentration measurements in predicting schoolchildren nicotine exposure

In Taiwan, the import of foreign cigarettes was legalized on January, 1987. The tobacco consumption rate in general population increases from 28.21% in 1986 to 32.5% in 1990 ( Taiwan Tobacco & Wine Monopoly Bureau 1991) . In the meantime, the smoking rate among teen-agers also steadily increases. The smoking rate increases from 12.3% in 1986 to 15.6% in 1991 among students in junior high schools, and increases from 13.8% in 1986 to 17.6% in 1991 among students in high schools ( ROC Department of Health 1991). The successful marketing of imported cigarettes can be best demonstrated by the preference of teenager smokers. The result of a survey conducted in September of 1987, nine months after the cigarettes became legalized, indicates that teenager smokers preferred the imported brands of cigarettes (82.6%) to the domestic brands (10.6%) (The John Tung's Foundation 1987). Considering such a rising trend in cigarette consumption, active as well as passive smoking is expected to be a serious public health problem in Taiwan in the future. In this study, tools of ETS exposure indicators, such as, questionnaire, butt counts and air nicotine concentrations were first evaluated and then applied to estimate schoolchildren's exposure to ETS in Taipei. We will apply the most suitable ETS exposure indicators to a larger population and assess feasible strategies in lowering the public health impact of passive smoking in Taiwan in the future. MATERIALS AND METHODS A stratified sampling method was used in choosing samples. First, we selected three primary schools located in three districts, representing high, middle and low social and economic conditions in Taipei city. Second, we selected three classes, representing 5 to 6 grades, 3 to 4 grades, and 1 to 2 grades in each school. A total of nine classes were chosen. Third, all schoolchildren in these nine classes included as participants. These schoolchildren were asked to fill a questionnaire recalling their time, duration and location of encountering ETS in the previous week. Parents of these children were asked to fill a questionnaire on their social economic status and smoking habits. Two months later, we randomly selected ten children from homes with smokers and three children from homes with nonsmokers in three classes of one school, identified in the previous questionnaire survey, to participate in a field sampling of estimating personal nicotine exposure. A total of 39 schoolchildren were wearing nicotine passive samplers for two two-day periods, representing children's exposure during weekdays and weekend. Among these 39 children, we randomly selected twelve homes of them to measure the nicotine concentrations in their livingrooms and bedrooms, and to count the cigarette butts.