Total ban on e-cigs may just be a few puffs away

The government will study a complete ban on electronic and heated tobacco products and forbid the sharing of cigarettes with minors in a bid to further shrink the smoking rate, sources have said as Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau unveils control measures today. Hong Kong's current smoking rate is 9.1 percent.

Sources also said smoking will be prohibited when people are in a queue.

Lo - along with Customs and Excise commissioner Louise Ho Pui-shan, health director Ronald Lam Man-kin, health deputy secretary Eddie Lee Lik-kong and Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office head Fung Ying - will host a press conference today to announce the public consultation results on e-cigarettes and the government's proposed measures.

It is understood that new cigarette control measures in the short-, medium- and long-term, including a ban on smoking while queuing, will be proposed.

Concerns have been raised on smoking while walking, but authorities said a ban would be hard to enforce, sources said. So the alternative being proposed is to ban smoking while waiting in line through legislation.

The government will study how to regulate smoking while walking in the long term, the sources added.

They said the government will learn from overseas experiences to implement a duty-paid labeling system for cigarettes. Each piece of duty-paid tobacco product will be labeled to clearly distinguish it from illegal cigarettes, which the government has vowed to combat by increasing penalties.

The government will study a complete ban on alternative smoking products, including vapes, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes, sources said.

This means simply obtaining such products would also be against the law, after the government criminalized the import, promotion, manufacture, sale or possession for commercial purposes of the products from April 30, 2022.

It is understood the government will further study how to enforce the complete ban, what the penalties would be, and whether a grace period should be granted. Sources said the government will ban people from sharing cigarettes to people under 18, and regulate flavored tobacco products.

A 28-year-old smoker, Lam Tsz-yeung, said he will smoke traditional cigarettes if the government imposes the ban as smoking is an "emotional support" to him.

Lam said he started with traditional cigarettes and turned to heat-not-burn products as they leave no smell.

"With heat-not-burn, I purchase 10 boxes in every go, with each box containing 10 packets, and it would take me around three to four months to finish. Going back to traditional cigarettes, I think I can finish a packet of 20 cigarettes in around two to three days," he said.

"I tried the heat-not-burn cigarettes to quit smoking, which is kind of successful, but with the complete ban, I have no choice but to go back to traditional cigarettes."

Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health member Langton Cheung Yung-pong said the measures "can create an environment to make Hongkongers be aware of the health risks brought by smoking."

But wholesale and retail sector lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai said Hongkongers should still have the right to choose.

"As an international city where many people enjoy visiting, if we have so many rules and are out of touch with other places in the world, it might affect our reputation," Shui said.