Taiwan is making it much harder for young men to be excused from military service on medical grounds, a change driven by a string of celebrity draft-dodging scandals.

• New medical standards for conscription take effect October 31, replacing looser rules.
• Exemption now requires a BMI above 45, height under 144cm, or serious organ damage from high blood pressure.
• Blood-pressure claims must be proven with a hospital stay and 24-hour monitoring, closing an easy loophole.
• Rules for medical discharge during active service were rewritten too, so serving soldiers face the same tougher bar.
• Substitute civilian service is being split into two tiers under the same overhaul.

Outlook: Fewer young Taiwanese men will qualify for exemption, expanding the pool of conscripts as the island builds up manpower against Chinese pressure.