Taiwan Pushes Ban on U.S. Tobacco Ads : Trade: Health officials and lawmakers say American firms are seducing teens into smoking. A ban may take effect this week.

About 30 health workers and lawmakers demonstrated last week against U.S. cigarette ads here, which they say are seducing teen-agers into smoking.

“We want our American friends to know that they can sell us more automobiles or blue jeans, but not harmful cigarettes,” said David Yen, president of the John Tung Foundation, a health organization.

The government proposal to ban the U.S. ads could take effect as early as this week.

Yen charged that more teen-agers have begun smoking since 1987, when American tobacco companies won permission to advertise in Taiwan, thanks to U.S. pressure.

Yen handed a petition to officials at the American Institute in Taiwan, which acts as the de facto U.S. Embassy. Washington broke ties with Taiwan in 1979 when the United States established relations with China.

The protest came as Taiwanese and American officials held annual trade talks in Washington to review the 1987 tobacco agreement and other issues. The Taiwanese delegation planned to raise the issue of an advertising ban with American officials.

In the United States, Yen’s group took out newspapers ads calling for a stop to American tobacco exports.

“We welcome all kinds of American products into Taiwan, but not tobacco products,” read one ad in Wednesday’s editions of the New York Times.

Under the 1987 agreement, American and other foreign tobacco firms can advertise in magazines, place posters at sales outlets and distribute cigarettes for free to promote sales.

The U.S. Cigarette Export Assn., which represents American tobacco companies, has argued that the proposed ban would only help Taiwan’s cigarette industry secure its market share.

Locally produced cigarettes account for about 80% of Taiwan’s market, while U.S.-made ones take up a large chunk of the remainder. But almost all teen-age smokers buy American brands because of the successful advertising campaign, health officials say.

The American association said in a statement earlier this month that it supports other “reasonable measures” to reduce smoking among minors but gave no details.

Taiwan health officials said they would not be satisfied with anything short of a complete advertising ban.

The United States is Taiwan’s largest trading partner. Trade between the nations totaled $36 billion last year, favoring Taiwan by $8.2 billion.

Who Bans Cigarette Ads

Here is a look at some cigarette advertising regulations worldwide:

Total or Near-Total Advertising Ban

Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Mozambique, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Sudan, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and Yugoslavia.

Restrictions on Advertising

Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain. The United States bans TV advertising.

Considering Advertising Ban

Argentina, India and Chile.