Push to raise legal smoking age

Hong Kong should raise the legal smoking age to 21 from 18, says the head of the tobacco control body, similar to Singapore and the United States.

Henry Tong Sau-chai, chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, told The Standard that the fine for people selling cigarettes to teens should also be doubled to HK$50,000 from HK$25,000 for a bigger deterrent effect.

Tong said that 70 percent of smokers of conventional cigarettes develop the habit under the age of 19. The earlier they become a regular smoker, the less likely they are to quit.

He said raising the legal smoking age to 21 can prevent secondary school students from getting in contact with cigarettes, as some Secondary Six students whose birthdays are between January and July reach 18 before graduation.

"Teens are easily affected by peers," he said. "If one student smokes, others may follow. We should eliminate all risks that may lead to smoking in secondary school students.''

Tong said other studies have shown the early use of cigarettes and nicotine is harmful to brain development, which lasts until the age of 25.

"Raising the minimum age is effective in reducing youth smoking and protecting their brain and health," he said.

In 2019, Hong Kong had 637,900 smokers, or 10.2 percent of the city's population above 15 years old, up slightly from 10 percent in 2017. Each smoker puffed an average of 12.7 cigarettes daily.

The Food and Health Bureau is aiming to lower the city's smoking rate to 7.8 percent in 2025.

A survey in 2018 found 0.1 percent of Primary 4 to 6 students were smokers, the same as in 2016.

Another study in 2019 found 1.5 percent of secondary students smoked regularly, 0.1 percentage point lower than in 2017.

At the moment, a person selling cigarettes to others under 18 is liable to a maximum fine of HK$25,000.

Shopkeepers at convenience stores and newspaper stalls usually check the Hong Kong ID cards of buyers if they suspect they are below 18.

However, Tong said the fine should be doubled to HK$50,000, the same as that for selling alcoholic drinks to teens below 18.

Singapore raised the legal smoking age to 21 from 18 last year, where underage people can also be fined up to SG$300 (HK$1,706) if they are caught smoking.

Asked if Hong Kong should also impose penalties on underage smokers, Tong said it is better to educate teens on the harm of smoking.

"If the person buying cigarettes is only 10, 11 or 12 years old, the seller should obviously shoulder a bigger responsibility. It's not the best solution to fine a young teen HK$25,000 or even HK$50,000," he said.

The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office should step up inspections of places where cigarettes may be sold to underage people.

On April 30 this year, Hong Kong brought in a law to ban the sale, import, manufacture and advertisement of e-cigarettes and alternative tobacco products.

To further compress the SAR's smoking population, Tong said the most effective measure was to significantly increase tobacco tax to provide an incentive for smokers to quit.

On average, a pack of cigarettes is priced at HK$60, including about HK$38, or 63 percent, of tobacco tax.

The tax in Hong Kong has been mostly frozen since 2014. Tong called for authorities to raise the threshold to 75 percent, as recommended by the World Health Organization.

An independent review commissioned by UK health secretary Sajid Javid is expected to support new taxes on tobacco company profits and raise the legal smoking age to 21 from 18.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Javid, who gave up smoking after becoming health secretary last year, had once considered more radical recommendations to raise the minimum age to 25.

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson may not support the proposal because 18 is recognized as the threshold of legal responsibility in the UK.

In New Zealand buying cigarettes is illegal for anyone aged 14 or under.

The legal smoking age is 19 years old in many countries, including Australia, France and Russia, and 20 in Japan and South Korea. In 2019, the United States also raised the age requirement from 18 to 21.