According to amendments made to the Tobacco Control Legislation published last week, the Hong Kong government is harshly clamping down on smoking in the city. As their next step in the ongoing anti-smoking drive, the government is seeking to ban the possession of e-cigarettes and smoking alternatives by April next year.
The bill is going to be tabled at the Legislative Council on Wednesday, but if it is passed, then starting from April 30, 2026, anyone who possesses even small amounts of alternative smoking products in public is liable to be fined $3,000. This is double the fixed fine for smoking violations, such is currently $1,500.
The import, manufacture, and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products have been banned since 2022, but not self-possession and usage – though it looks like that will soon change. This new ban will first be enforced in outdoor public spaces before gradually expanding to cover indoor areas as well.
Hong Kong residents will also not be allowed to smoke while queuing, in designated areas for public transport, or near the entrance to places with high pedestrian flow, such as sports venues, museums, theme parks, and health centres. Anyone else standing alongside the smoker will constitute a queue, as the rule applies when there are two or more people lining up, including the smoker.
Additionally, new zones will be introduced where smoking is prohibited, including within three metres of doorways to schools, hospitals, childcare centres, residential care homes, and more. These policies on no-smoking zones and violation fines will take effect as early as January 1, 2026.
Selling tobacco products to minors has always been illegal, but the sale of alternative smoking products – including electronic or heated cigarettes – to underaged people will soon also result in a fine of up to $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment. Since the government has said that flavoured cigarettes will ‘entice young people to smoke’, these are also in the process of being outlawed, except menthol flavoured cigarettes. This clamp down on flavoured cigarettes is just the first step in a series of phases, and full implementation is expected to take hold in the second quarter of 2027.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox
Recommended stories:
Oreo releases all-new space-inspired sandwich cookies in Hong Kong
‘Twilight of the Warriors’ dominates at Hong Kong Film Awards, while Sean Lau wins Best Actor
Tickets for G-Dragon’s Macau concert go on sale this week – here’s what you need to know