FILE PHOTO/ Agence France-Presse
HONG KONG, China — Hong Kong will ban the possession and use of e-cigarette cartridges in public by mid-2026, the city’s top health official said on Sunday as the government pushed ahead with its anti-tobacco agenda.
Vaping remains common in Hong Kong even though the Chinese finance hub banned the import, manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in April 2022.
“To protect our young people, we believe it is time to ban the use of e-cigarette cartridges,” Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on a television program.
READ: Hong Kong announces blanket ban of e-cigarettes
“We will start by legislating against outdoor possession and use,” Lo said. “Once the public is accustomed to (the ban), we will implement it in all places.”
The policy — first floated last year as a blanket ban on e-cigarettes — will be sent to the legislature in April with the goal of taking effect by mid-2026, Lo said.
The ban will start with public places because there will be “many enforcement problems” in indoor areas.
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The World Health Organization said last year that around 35 countries have banned the sale of e-cigarettes.
Hong Kong authorities hope to reduce the smoking prevalence rate to 7.8 percent this year, down from 9.1 percent in 2023.
Following a 2022 law, anyone in Hong Kong who imports e-cigarettes can be punished by up to seven years in jail and a fine of HK$2 million ($257,000), while sellers and manufacturers can be jailed for up to six months.
Lo said many of the people still vaping in Hong Kong relied on illegal imports and that e-cigarette cartridges or pods have become a tool for recreational drug use.
Authorities have scrambled to crack down on the rising use of etomidate — an anesthetic nicknamed “space oil” that is often inhaled through vaping.
As part of its legislative push, the Hong Kong government will also propose in April banning non-menthol flavoured cigarettes.