Taiwan May Quadruple Cigarette Tax to Curb Smoking, CNA Reports

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan plans to quadruple the health tax on cigarettes to make smoking less affordable to young people, the official Central News Agency reported, citing a Department of Health official.

The department has drafted a proposal to raise the health tax to NT$45 ($1.39) from NT$10, the agency reported on its Web site yesterday, citing Hsiao Mei-ling, director general of the department's bureau of health promotion.

Seven percent of Taiwan's high school students are smokers, the agency reported.

Taipei, Taiwan's capital, has the most affordable cigarettes in the world, according to a survey by Tobacco Control.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Culpan in Taipei at tculpan1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Kohn at tkohn@bloomberg.net