Smoking ban at Kenting National Park draws ire of smokers( Taipei Times )
發佈日期： 2014-04-10
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on April 1 that smoking is now prohibited at all public parks. Kenting National Park also followed suit in carrying out the new policy. However, not having a single smoking area in the more than 400 hectares covering Kenting National Forest Recreation Area has many smokers complaining. The Pingtung Forest District Office says that it will look into the possibility of setting up smoking areas, but that for the time being smoking is still prohibited throughout the entire park.
“The intentions behind prohibiting smoking are good, but not having a single smoking area in such a vast park is excessive enforcement of the law,” said one chain-smoker surnamed Kuo in a complaint that he filed. Although smoking is not allowed in Kenting National Park’s scenic areas, there are still designated smoking areas inside. The Forest Recreation Area, however, completely prohibits smoking, which is something smokers are unwilling to accept.
The district office says that the Forest Recreation Area contains many rare tree species. Completely prohibiting smoking is in accordance with the government policy, the office says, adding that there are also fears that cigarette butts might cause fires, which is why there are not any designated smoking areas in the area. The office says that hopefully people visiting the area will do their best to enjoy the phytoncides and cast aside their cigarettes. With regard to people’s complaints that not having smoking areas is inhumane, the office says that it will look into the possibility of setting up smoking areas near the ticket office. The park also says that if tourists are caught smoking in non-smoking areas, they will receive fines of between NT$2,000 and NT$10,000.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
四月一日是衛福部公告公園綠地全面禁煙首日，墾丁國家公園範圍內同步實施，但廣達四百多公頃的墾丁森林遊樂區，竟無半個吸菸區，讓不少癮君子大表不滿；屏東林管處表示，將研究設置吸菸區，設置完成前仍全面禁菸。
「禁菸用意很好，但那麼廣大的園區，竟連一處吸菸區都不設，未免執法過當了！」老菸槍郭先生投訴表示，墾丁國家公園內景點雖然禁止吸菸，但都有規劃吸菸區，森林遊樂區卻完全禁止，讓吸菸族群不能接受。
屏東林管處指出，墾丁森林遊樂區內有許多珍貴樹種，全面禁菸除了配合政策，也擔心菸蒂造成森林火災，因此未在園區內規劃吸菸區，希望民眾到訪時盡情享受芬多精，放下手中的香菸；至於民眾反映無吸菸區不通人性，將研究在售票口周邊設置。墾管處表示，遊客如果在禁菸區抽菸被查獲，將挨罰兩千到一萬元。
