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Sammy Heung

Harvey Kong

Olga Wong

Hong Kong authorities expect to pass 10 short-term measures before the end of next year to further decrease the city’s smoking rate to 7.8 per cent, including a ban on flavoured tobacco products and possessing alternative tobacco ones.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau likened nicotine addiction to “being trapped in a cage”, saying on Thursday the new measures would “offer freedom to smokers”.
“The freedom of choice of not smoking is actually restricted by the tobacco industry. We believe that these smokers are already deprived of the freedom of choice,” he said.
“These flavoured cigarettes with additives … are trying to hide the irritating taste of the smoke and … the harmful effects of all these tobacco products, making it like sugar coating a toxic product.
“We are trying to give our smokers the freedom to free themselves from the harmful effects of tobacco products.”
Lo said that although the smoking rate had dropped to 9.1 per cent last year, representing about 600,000 people, the city “should not be complacent”.
“We have set a goal in 2018 hoping that the smoking prevalence rate will reach 7.8 per cent by 2025. We must step up our efforts to move things forward in order to achieve this goal,” he said.
He added that during a three-month consultation last year, more than 90 per cent of the public supported further efforts to lower the rate.
“When considering measures to be taken, we will take into account their effectiveness in curbing the harm brought about by smoking, public acceptance, the potential difficulties during their implementation and the conflicts likely to arise,” Lo said.
Lo said the government aimed to submit a proposal on the 10 short-term measures to the Legislative Council by the end of 2024, and have them passed by the end of next year.
After reviewing the effectiveness of the short-term measures, authorities expected mid-term strategies would be introduced after 2026 and they would also explore the options for long-term action to achieve a “tobacco-free” Hong Kong, the minister added.


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A ban on flavoured cigarettes was among the 10 measures, with Deputy Secretary for Health Eddie Lee Lik-kong saying such products used additives to conceal strong smells and were popular among young people and female smokers in particular.
Ronald Lam, the director of health, said a new survey by the Census and Statistics Department showed that the younger the smoker, the more he or she would prefer flavoured cigarettes.
“In the age group of 20 to 29, 70 per cent of them opted for mint-flavoured cigarettes,” he said, adding that 40 per cent of the smoking population also chose flavoured products.
More than 60 per cent of female smokers preferred them, a higher proportion than their male counterparts.
Authorities also plan to introduce a duty-paid labelling system to differentiate legal cigarettes from illicit ones. The Post earlier learned the labels would be required to have anti-forgery features.
The government aims to raise the maximum penalty for dealing with, possessing, selling or buying illicit cigarettes from HK$1 million and two years in jail to HK$2 million and seven years behind bars.
Following the ban on the import, promotion, manufacturing, sale or possession for commercial purposes of alternative smoking products in 2022, authorities aim to add personal possession to the list.
It will be illegal to provide tobacco products to minors, while smokers will also no longer be allowed to light up while queuing in outdoor public places, including public transport areas, parks and entertainment locations.
Other measures include expanding non-smoking areas to the entrances and exits of child care centres, schools, elderly homes and hospitals, reviewing the effectiveness of raising the tobacco duty, standardising product packaging, and ramping up smoke cessation services and promotion.
Lo said the government was taking an incremental approach to implementing the measures.
“We understand that some people may have already been smoking for quite a long time. In order to try to change some of their behaviour, we need time for them to adapt,” he said.


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On banning the sale of tobacco products to those born after a specified year, which was included in the long-term measures, Lo said it was “an ultimate means” that would eventually lead to a blanket ban on smoking.
“We consider that it is relatively controversial, which requires more time for discussion and consideration,” he said.
On whether enough manpower existed to implement the new measures, Lam said the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office had 200 officers and they could request more resources.
To ensure the measures were effective, the city would not only rely on law enforcement, but also public cooperation, he added.
Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health chairman Henry Tong Sau-chai welcomed the initiatives, saying he hoped to further discuss implementation details with authorities.
“We also hope the ban on possessing alternative tobacco products will be enacted on April 30, 2025, which is already three years after the ban of sale and import of them,” he said. “Any remaining stocks should already be used by then.”
Joe Lo Kai-lut, convenor of the Long-term Tobacco Policy Concern Group, said he did not support several of the measures. Lo noted that banning flavoured cigarettes and alternative tobacco products would only drive people to seek them out through illegal means.
He also questioned Lo’s comments about greater freedom, saying: “If you ban everything … I do not think this is a freedom of choice. They are banning everything and they are only letting you pick between one or two things, does this count as freedom of choice ?”
Lam Cheung-fu, chairman of the Hong Kong Newspaper Vendors Association, said the measures could further dampen the sales of cigarettes and the industry might even give up selling such products.
But he said he failed to see how the proposed measures, except for the labelling system, could combat the sale of illicit cigarettes. He said since the tobacco tax was raised, the black market had expanded and smokers could easily obtain a pack for as little as HK$30 (US$3.8), about a third of the price of legitimate ones.

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Hong Kong expects to pass 10 short-term measures before end of 2025 to lower smoking rate

During a three-month consultation last year, more than 90 per cent of the public expressed support for lowering the smoking rate. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong penalties for illicit cigarettes to go up, anti-forgery features to be used

Tougher rules to help stub out cigarettes for good are to be introduced. Photo: Sam Tsang

Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho will join health secretary Lo Chung-mau and Ronald Lam, the director of health, to announce more measures to crack down on illicit cigarettes and smoking. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Cigarettes will soon have to carry anti-forgery marks to help authorities spot contraband. Photo:  Eugene Lee

Hong Kong anti-smoking watchdog calls for 75% increase in tobacco tax to bring city in line with WHO standards

A pack of 20 cigarettes costs HK$78, with tax taking up around HK$50, or 64.1 per cent of the retail price.  Photo: Sam Tsang

The Hong Kong Council On Smoking And Health’s Kelvin Wang (left), Henry Tong and Vienna Lai. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Law and Crime

Health minister says ban on flavoured tobacco products among measures, with bill to be presented to legislature this year


Health minister says ban on flavoured tobacco products among measures, with bill to be presented to legislature.


Legislative Council of Hong Kong

Smoking and vaping

World Health Organization (WHO)

Hong Kong society