Hong Kong Has One of the World's Lowest Smoking Rates. Now It's Banning E-Cigarettes Too

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http://fortune.com/2018/10/10/hong-kong-e-cigarettes-ban/

ong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed on Wednesday banning electronic cigarettes throughout the territory, the Financial Times reports. Bloomberg, meanwhile, reports that the ban is a fait accompli.

The e-cig technology, which emerged over the last few years but whose health advantages over cigarettes are unclear, is already banned in Argentina, Thailand, Singapore, and 24 other nations and is subject to age restrictions in many places. U.S. federal law permits the sale of e-cigarettes, but states and municipalities are creating their own restrictions. The Public Health Law Center keeps a map and database here.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is studying how to discourage e-cigarette use among younger people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control saysthat e-cigarettes may help existing cigarette users to reduce their exposure to some of the harmful products of burning tobacco, since e-cigarettes just heat the tobacco. However, it also states that “scientists still have a lot to learn about whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking” and that children, pregnant women, and non-smokers should not use e-cigarettes.

Lam cited the “health of our citizens, particularly children and teenagers” in announcing her plan to ban e-cigs in the Hong Kong. The city’s Council on Smoking and Health, which backs measures to control tobacco, says the devices could “renormalize smoking behavior and serve as a gateway to youth smoking.” The agency says that 37% of people who experiment with e-cigs are between ages 15 and 29. That said, Hong Kong already has one of the lowest smoking rates in the world; about 10% of its population smokes, Bloomberg reports.

 

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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...ficials-plugging-loopholes-proposed-hong-kong

Officials ‘plugging loopholes’ in proposed Hong Kong ban on e-cigarettes, as industry vows opposition

Source says legislation will not target possession of products, meaning consumers can still use previously bought items


PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 10 October, 2018, 9:08pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 10 October, 2018, 11:05pm

COMMENTS: 4

Officials are exploring ways to plug possible loopholes and close off access to e-cigarettes or new smoking products – especially for young people – following an announcement by Hong Kong’s leader of a proposed ban on such items.



On Wednesday, tobacco industry players and consumers expressed disappointment and vowed to oppose the ban raised by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Lam’s suggestion, among a series of health care initiatives announced in her second policy address, marked a U-turn from an earlier proposal aimed at regulating the products in the same manner as conventional cigarettes.

Hong Kong to impose full ban on e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products
The ban on the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes and other new smoking products was to protect the health of Hongkongers, particularly children and teenagers, Lam stressed.

In her policy address report, Lam stated there was also “a lack of sufficient evidence to prove the products can help quit smoking”. The report further said “the public may underestimate the harmful effects of these products”. A government source said the city’s leader settled on a full ban as there was strong public opinion over the issue.

Why Hong Kong ban on e-cigarettes is wrong – they helped me quit tobacco[/paste:font]
Tobacco industry members however said the government’s decision was unfortunate and some vowed to oppose the ban.

“We will resist till the end. The resistance is not for ourselves, but for all Hongkongers,” said Joe Lo, convenor of a group that supports the use of heat-not-burn products, adding he felt angry with the government’s proposal.

We will resist till the end. The resistance is not for ourselves, but for all Hongkongers
JOE LO, E-CIGARETTE SUPPORTER
“The government has ignored scientific evidence and social problems brought about by a total ban,” Lo added, pointing to the reversal of an earlier, “balanced” decision to allow and regulate the novel products in line with international practice.

He said his group had not decided on their next course of action to show their dissatisfaction.

The Asian Vape Association, which consists of around 20 local e-cigarettes businesses and organisations, said they were up in arms over what they called an unfair decision, criticising the government for forcing a quit-or-die approach on smokers.

Nav Lalji, chairman of the association, said the initiative will only encourage people to smoke traditional cigarettes.

If the legislation is enacted, the industry is expected to take a hit, with shops closing overnight while the products surfacing on the black market, according to Lalji.

Tobacco giant Philip Morris Asia, which sells conventional cigarettes as well as heat-not-burn products, said it was an unfortunate move.

Stubbing out demand: sale of e-cigarettes set to be regulated
A company spokeswoman said she believed the concerns over youth access to the products could be addressed through proper regulation and education.

The government first floated the idea of a total ban on e-cigarettes in 2015, and intended to submit a legislative proposal in 2016/2017. But the move was held back based on studies by related departments.

A plan, aimed at regulating items in a same manner as conventional tobacco products, was raised by authorities in June this year. But it failed to impress parties from both sides – the tobacco industry argued the proposal was too harsh on innovative products, while health experts said the rules were too lax on what were considered harmful goods.

More smokers in Hong Kong turning to e-cigarettes, survey reveals
The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, an anti-smoking group, said on Wednesday it welcomed the administration’s drive to safeguard public health.

“We have been pushing for this since 2015 and we are glad to see that the government has finally come to realise the urgency,” a spokesman said.

We have been pushing for this since 2015 and we are glad to see that the government has finally come to realise the urgency
HONG KONG COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
In a press release, the group urged authorities to enact the legislation with no further delay.

“We press for immediate review because new smoking products will only continue to emerge with time,” the spokesman added.

The Academy of Medicine, a specialists’ training institute in the city, expressed satisfaction with the latest policy, noting it was the result of the medical community’s push to oppose e-cigarettes and other new smoking products over the past few months.

“The academy reiterates that it is utterly wrong to say that electronic smoking devices are less addictive and pose less threat to one’s health than traditional cigarettes,” it said in a statement.

The academy added that to combat misconceptions about such products, “a complete ban on e-cigarettes is the only way to go”.

Vaping and e-cigarettes in Hong Kong: dangerous, or a safe way to quit?
Other health care measures announced by Lam in her policy address included a free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination scheme for schoolgirls in Primary Five and Six, who are usually aged 10 or 11. The move is part of the fight against cervical cancer, the seventh most common cancer among local women in 2015.

Another plan centred on public hospitals allowing parents in a miscarriage to claim a fetus under 24 weeks for burial or cremation. Lam said authorities are also looking into providing facilities to handle such matters. Currently a miscarried fetus under the 24-week gestation mark is considered an abortus and disposed of as medical waste.

Additional reporting by Gary Cheung

 

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