Letters | Ban vaping in Hong Kong for the sake of its youth

Over a third of respondents to a 2017 survey who had tried e-cigarettes were aged 15-29, highlighting the need to protect them from this ‘sugar-coated trap’

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E-cigarettes and other vaping products on display at a Hong Kong store. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 5:02pm, 18 Dec 2018Updated: 5:02pm, 18 Dec 2018

I refer to the Consumer Council’s call on Monday for the government to urgently push ahead with its plan to ban the sale of e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn or similar products, as it warned about the wide availability of the devices in Hong Kong. I support this call.

There are thousands of flavours of e-cigarette on the market, targeting youngsters who are naturally curious and crave novelty. A survey last year by the Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) found over a third of respondents (37.4 per cent) who had tried e-cigarettes were aged 15-29, significantly higher than the other age groups. The council calls it a “sugar-coated trap”.

Moreover, a survey by Baptist University on e-cigarettes, commissioned by COSH, found that such devices can contain harmful substances, including formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and poly-brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Formaldehyde and PAHs are known carcinogens, while PBDEs are associated with thyroid hormone disruption and fertility issues.

Dr David Lam Tzit-yuen, honorary secretary of the Hong Kong Medical Association, holds up a chart showing vaping devices in calling for a total ban on electronic cigarettes and other new tobacco products, in June. Photo: Nora Tam

Therefore, I support the proposal to impose a full ban on e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products. Some may argue as to why the government will not give Hongkongers more freedom to choose. However, such a move is needed to safeguard public health. At least 16 countries or regions have already banned e-cigarette sales, including Singapore, Thailand, Brazil and even Macau.