The Government's anti-smoking campaign was ridiculed last night after it was revealed the administration earned $350,000 last year auctioning contraband cigarettes.
The proceeds from the sale were announced yesterday by the Government Supplies Department.
But, coming a month before the tabling in the Legislative Council of legislation to ban tobacco advertising, the Government was accused of being hypocritical.
Professor Judith Mackay, director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, said: 'It's ridiculous and embarrassing for Hong Kong to be selling these cigarettes on to other countries in Asia.
'We are trying to protect our own people from cigarettes, but are selling them off cheap elsewhere. It's inconsistent with government health policy.' The director of the department which sells the seized cigarettes used to be in charge of the Government's anti-smoking campaign.
Nigel Shipman of the Government Supplies Department said the policy had been set by the Treasury Secretary. The cigarettes were sold for export only.
He said: 'I used to be in charge of the anti-smoking campaign when I worked at the Health and Welfare Branch and I'm rather conscious of that.