'Comprehensive ban on e-smoking devices needed'

Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health chief Henry Tong on Sunday said the government should ban the possession of electronic cigarette devices in all settings, including in private places. His comment came as the vaping possession ban takes effect on April 30. Under the law, possessing or using alternative smoking products, such as vapes, e-cigarettes or heated tobacco in public will be prohibited. Speaking after a Commercial Radio programme, Tong noted that some people still misunderstood that vaping is less harmful than traditional cigarette smoking. "There are over 1,000 chemicals in the electronic cigarettes which are harmful and which are not present in traditional cigarettes," he said. Tong said the new law sends a clear message to the public that electronic cigarettes and its alternative products are harmful and no one should use them. "Our council would further advocate the government to enact a new law as soon as possible to ban the possession of the electronic cigarette device in all places, including private places, so that no one could use electronic cigarettes for either tobacco smoking or for the use of smoking illegal drugs such as etomidate or marijuana," he said. Tong added selling flavoured and menthol tobacco products should also be banned, noting that most new young and female smokers start with them. Sophia Chan, from the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health, said the 2026 smoking rate in the city is 8.5 percent, while the government's target, set in 2025, was for it to be 7.8 percent. Tong said the Legislative Council should complete its review of tobacco control measures, including the stamp duty system for cigarettes and plain packaging, as soon as possible to meet the city's goals. Chan said additional smoking cessation services should be provided to high smoking rate groups, such as constructions workers and drivers. She added current tobacco control measures should be strengthened, including further increasing tobacco tax and putting more resources into smoking cessation services. Edited by Tony Sabine