Taipei: Health Minister Shih Chung-liang announced that displaying legal heated tobacco devices is permitted in licensed retail outlets, as it helps consumers differentiate them from illegal devices. This statement follows a prior announcement by Shen Ching-fen, head of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), who informed reporters on September 17 that displaying all heated tobacco devices was prohibited.

According to Focus Taiwan, the HPA clarified on Thursday that image displays are allowed in licensed retail outlets, provided they only inform consumers of the brands and prices of the products. This move aims to ensure that consumers are adequately informed while preventing the promotion of illegal devices.

Minister Shih emphasized that all four of the permitted heated tobacco devices, which include carrying and heating devices, have undergone review before being released to the market. This review process is intended to ensure the safety of the devices and to avoid designs that could attract teenagers to use these products. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to advise businesses against prominently highlighting such products in their displays.

Shih also mentioned the possibility of amending the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act to include warning messages on the packaging of heating devices, specifying the size of these warnings. Amendments to the Act, which took effect in March 2023, require new tobacco products, such as heated tobacco, to undergo health risk reviews before they can be manufactured, imported, or sold in Taiwan.

In July 2025, the first batch of heated tobacco products, comprising 14 products and four component devices from two companies, was approved for legal sale, with sales starting on October 11 and October 19.