Taiwan gives deadline for demise of mercury thermometers
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Mercury thermometers will be banned from use in Taiwanese hospitals and clinics from July 1 2011, and will be banned from sale to individuals and non-medical institutions from July 1 this year (sellers defying this ban will be subject to fines of up to T$6,000 -US$197). From July 2011, electronic thermometers will replace mercury-filled devices, which currently sell 520,000 units per year in Taiwan. To end the use of mercury thermometers, the country's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month offered electronic thermometers in exchange for mercury-filled ones at a Taipei hospital. An ongoing initiative is the exchange of retail coupons for mercury thermometers at the pharmacy store chains Cosmed, Wellcare and Pro Healthcare.
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