DPP Legislators and Councilors Urge Taoyuan City Government to Enact Autonomous Ordinance to Combat Emerging Drug Threats
DPP Legislator Chang Ya-lin, along with Taoyuan City Councilors Huang Chong-zhen and Li Zong-hao, held a press conference on June 3, calling on the Taoyuan City Government to propose an "Emerging Drug E-liquid Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance" to rebuild local drug defense lines against substances like etomidate (commonly known as zombie vapes).
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- 📰 Published: June 3, 2026 at 13:56
- 🔍 Collected: June 3, 2026 at 14:06 (10 min after Published)
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(Central News Agency reporter Wang Cheng-chung, Taipei, June 3) Following repeated incidents involving emerging drugs like etomidate (commonly known as zombie vapes), DPP Legislator Chang Ya-lin, DPP Taoyuan City Councilors Huang Chong-zhen, and Li Zong-hao jointly held a press conference. They called on the central government to review relevant regulations and urged the Taoyuan City Government to propose an "Emerging Drug E-liquid Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance" to rebuild local drug defense lines.
Addressing the spread of emerging drugs like etomidate through e-cigarette devices, which leads to zombie vapes, drug-impaired driving, campus infiltration, and risks to children and youth safety, DPP Legislator Chang Ya-lin and DPP Taoyuan City Councilors Huang Chong-zhen and Li Zong-hao held a joint press conference at the Legislative Yuan today.
Chang Ya-lin pointed out that according to statistics from the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, Taoyuan has accounted for more than half of the nation's emerging drug seizure cases for several consecutive years. After the central government amended the "Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act," Taoyuan abolished its "E-cigarette Hazard Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance." However, recent cases of zombie vapes, drug-impaired driving, and campus infiltration show that the current system is clearly insufficient to address the new risks posed by emerging drugs.
Chang stated that prevention of emerging drugs requires not only end-point crackdowns but also the establishment of a complete prevention system. She urged the Taoyuan City Government to promptly propose an "Emerging Drug E-liquid Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance," integrating resources from education, health, and police departments to build defense lines from schools and families to communities, ensuring the government's governance speed outpaces the risks.
Huang Chong-zhen noted that Taoyuan City formulated the "Taoyuan City E-cigarette Hazard Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance" in 2021, but this local defense line was abolished during the tenure of Taoyuan City Mayor Chang Shan-cheng, effectively disarming the local government. Although the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act has completely banned e-cigarettes, the local autonomous ordinance could have supplemented details such as possession by minors, management around campuses, local inspections, and child protection.
Huang emphasized that the Taoyuan City Government cannot use "waiting for central legislative amendments" as an excuse to shirk responsibility. Central regulations need strengthening, and local autonomy must also be upgraded. Taoyuan should restore the defense lines that were abolished and comprehensively upgrade measures against emerging drug e-liquids, child protection, campus reporting, online sales, and drug-impaired driving prevention.
Li Zong-hao pointed out that the threat posed by zombie vapes and emerging drugs to road safety is no longer an isolated case but a public safety crisis that requires immediate action. He stated that he has requested the Taoyuan City Police Department to use more accurate initial screening reagents to expose the hidden figures of drug-impaired driving and has also requested enhanced campus advocacy and inspections.
Li stated, however, that relying solely on frontline police officers is not enough. If health, education, social affairs, police, drug prevention, and traffic management are not integrated, source control will spiral out of control. The Taoyuan City Government must shift from case-by-case crackdowns to institutional governance, establishing cross-departmental cooperation and data integration mechanisms, and must not allow drug-impaired driving prevention to remain permanently at the stage of post-incident stops. (Editor: Zhai Si-jia) 1150603
Addressing the spread of emerging drugs like etomidate through e-cigarette devices, which leads to zombie vapes, drug-impaired driving, campus infiltration, and risks to children and youth safety, DPP Legislator Chang Ya-lin and DPP Taoyuan City Councilors Huang Chong-zhen and Li Zong-hao held a joint press conference at the Legislative Yuan today.
Chang Ya-lin pointed out that according to statistics from the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, Taoyuan has accounted for more than half of the nation's emerging drug seizure cases for several consecutive years. After the central government amended the "Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act," Taoyuan abolished its "E-cigarette Hazard Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance." However, recent cases of zombie vapes, drug-impaired driving, and campus infiltration show that the current system is clearly insufficient to address the new risks posed by emerging drugs.
Chang stated that prevention of emerging drugs requires not only end-point crackdowns but also the establishment of a complete prevention system. She urged the Taoyuan City Government to promptly propose an "Emerging Drug E-liquid Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance," integrating resources from education, health, and police departments to build defense lines from schools and families to communities, ensuring the government's governance speed outpaces the risks.
Huang Chong-zhen noted that Taoyuan City formulated the "Taoyuan City E-cigarette Hazard Prevention and Control Autonomous Ordinance" in 2021, but this local defense line was abolished during the tenure of Taoyuan City Mayor Chang Shan-cheng, effectively disarming the local government. Although the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act has completely banned e-cigarettes, the local autonomous ordinance could have supplemented details such as possession by minors, management around campuses, local inspections, and child protection.
Huang emphasized that the Taoyuan City Government cannot use "waiting for central legislative amendments" as an excuse to shirk responsibility. Central regulations need strengthening, and local autonomy must also be upgraded. Taoyuan should restore the defense lines that were abolished and comprehensively upgrade measures against emerging drug e-liquids, child protection, campus reporting, online sales, and drug-impaired driving prevention.
Li Zong-hao pointed out that the threat posed by zombie vapes and emerging drugs to road safety is no longer an isolated case but a public safety crisis that requires immediate action. He stated that he has requested the Taoyuan City Police Department to use more accurate initial screening reagents to expose the hidden figures of drug-impaired driving and has also requested enhanced campus advocacy and inspections.
Li stated, however, that relying solely on frontline police officers is not enough. If health, education, social affairs, police, drug prevention, and traffic management are not integrated, source control will spiral out of control. The Taoyuan City Government must shift from case-by-case crackdowns to institutional governance, establishing cross-departmental cooperation and data integration mechanisms, and must not allow drug-impaired driving prevention to remain permanently at the stage of post-incident stops. (Editor: Zhai Si-jia) 1150603