Hong Kong Bans E-cigs, Allows for Personal Use

Hong Kong has banned the sale of e-cigarettes and other heated tobacco products but personal use is still allowed. The ban will come into effect as soon as mid-2022, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said. The maximum penalty for offenders will be a HK$50,000 fine and six-month imprisonment.

Lawmakers passed the bill banning the import, sale and manufacture of electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) but some legislators say bill goes too far in targeting the business of vaping, will hurt the import sector and will deny a potential area for innovation.

The long-delayed Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 passed Thursday, “delivering a major victory for health activists and educators who have blamed the devices for encouraging smoking among young people,” according to the South China Morning Post.

While the new law targets only vape shops and the local business of vaping, consumers will still be free to use the devices, prompting some politicians to call for more aggressive measures to curb tobacco use, including banning smoking in all public places except for designated areas. Others, however, argued Hong Kong should allow reshipment of vaping products and warned the ban would hurt logistics companies.

The bill was approved by a vote of 32 to three in the Legislative Council. Two lawmakers abstained.