TAIPEI: Veteran smokers among Taiwan's lawmakers who feel tempted to violate the island's new anti-smoking laws had better watch out.

"The Smoke-Free Angels," a bi-partisan group of female legislators, is out to nab lawbreakers within the Legislative Yuan complex and report them. The "Angels" even issued a black list of senior legislators with notorious smoking habits, promising to make them targets of particularly close scrutiny.

The bi-partisan group's formation was announced in a joint statement by Chiang Lin-chun and Chang Chia-chun from the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and Chen Ying from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

On the group's list of inveterate smokers are KMT caucus whip Chang Sho-wen and KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-ming as well as DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming.

Also to be given careful scrutiny are legislative aides and reporters working in the legislature complex.

Chen complained that many non-smoking members of the legislature are long-suffering, because of tobacco smoke exuded by senior colleagues but junior members have been too shy to protest publicly.

"The patrol team will fight for everybody's right to breathe fresh air and reject the secondhand smoke of these long-term smokers," Chen said.

According to Chang Chia-chun, the patrol will focus on well known haunts of smokers: the speaker's lounge at the back of the main assembly hall; the third floor of the assembly hall, where inter-party consultations are often held and the stairwell of legislators' office building.

To encourage senior lawmakers to quit smoking, Ker and Chang Sho-wen will be evaluated on their efforts to cut down their smoking within the coming month, Chiang said.

Shuai, however, urged his colleagues to avoid resorting to extreme tactics.

Under an amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, which took effect Jan 11, smoking is prohibited on public transport and in most indoor areas that allow public access. Also on the list are covered passenger stations, KTV parlors, Internet cafes and comic-book stores.

Smoking is also forbidden in offices manned by three or more people.

Only four kinds of public establishments, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and nursing homes for the elderly, are permitted to set up smoking rooms, subject to strict requirements.

The law mandates a fine of up to NT$10,000 ($301) for those who smoke in establishments where smoking is prohibited and up to NT$50,000 for the owners of premises found in violation.

The only places in which smoking is allowed at indoor venues are night spots that open after 9 pm and do not admit patrons under 18.

CNA

(HK Edition 01/14/2009 page1)