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Taiwan bans indoor smoking 

Taiwan Sunday banned smoking in all indoor public places, becoming the 17th country in the world and the second in Asia to take the move to protect people's health.The ban is a victory for anti-smoking campaigners and health workers, but is a nightmare for die-hard smokers who can now only smoke at home or in the open.

"Since Ireland banned indoor smoking in 2004, 14 countries and one territory - Bermuda - have followed suit, and Taiwan is the 17th worldwide to ban indoor smoking," the John Tung Foundation, the leader in Taiwan's anti-smoking campaign, said in a statement.

Taiwan is the second country in Asia to ban indoor smoking after the Himalayan Buddhist kingdom Bhutan, which banned the sale of cigarettes and smoking in 2005.

Under the new rule, smoking is banned in all offices and indoor facilities such as department stores, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, airports and railway stations.

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