Hong Kong expects to pass 10 short-term measures before end of 2025 to lower smoking rate
- Health minister says ban on flavoured tobacco products among measures, with bill to be presented to legislature this year
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”.
