Hong Kong’s health minister announced on Sunday, February 9, that the government will clamp down on e-cigarettes in the city, proposing a ban on the possession and use of e-cigarette cartridges in public by the middle of 2026.
The import, manufacture, and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products has been banned since April 2022. Those who import e-cigarettes can be charged with a $2 million fine and up to seven years in jail, while sellers and manufacturers can face a six-month jail term. However, this law does not cover the personal possession and usage of e-cigarettes, and vaping remains fairly common in Hong Kong.
This new ban will first be enforced in outdoor public spaces to allow for citizens to adapt to the change, before eventually expanding to indoor areas in Hong Kong. The proposal will be submitted to the legislature in April with the aim of being enforced in the middle of next year.
According to the government, e-cigarette cartridges and pods have become a tool for recreational drug use. The authorities have recently been trying to crack down on the use of the etomidate anaesthetic – commonly referred to as space oil – which is often inhaled through vaping.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also announced that this bill would additionally cover a sales ban on flavoured tobacco. Since flavoured cigarettes are consumed by approximately 40 percent of smokers in Hong Kong, the government will crack down on these tobacco products that make smoking more attractive in phases, starting with outlawing non-menthol-flavoured cigarettes.
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