Dementia has become an increasingly important issue in Taiwan’s super-aged society, prompting both ruling and opposition lawmakers to propose a draft version of a basic law for handling dementia. However, this Tuesday Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) expressed doubts about whether legislation will adequately address the issue.

Legislators are advocating for the creation of a cross-ministerial coordination mechanism at the Cabinet level that would be chaired by the premier. Cho said that the government will continue developing more comprehensive solutions for the increasing prevalence of the condition among all age groups and that he is open to discussions regarding whether establishing a basic law for a single type of symptom truly meets societal needs.

Meanwhile, a recent spike in drug-impaired driving accidents causing injuries and deaths has caused public concern. KMT Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said he plans to propose amendments allowing the death penalty in fatal drug-driving cases.

The premier said the government will crack down on drug imports, trafficking, and overall regulation. As for whether he supports tougher penalties for fatal drug-impaired driving offenses, he said he has asked the Justice Ministry and relevant agencies to look into ways to increase penalties while maintaining proportionality within the legal system.

Cho emphasized that the government will conduct a comprehensive review of measures ranging from source control and enforcement inspections to harsher criminal penalties after offenses occur.