Long-delayed Hong Kong legislation banning e-cigarettes clears bills committee in spite of some lawmakers’ objections

While the bill is now out of committee, a date has not been set for its second reading

The legislation, years in the making, outlaws the import, production, distribution, sale and promotion of alternative smoking products

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A ban on e-cigarettes and other alternative smoking products cleared the bills committee in the Legislative Council on Friday. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 5:10pm, 10 Sep 2021Updated: 10:59pm, 10 Sep 2021

A long-stalled bill to ban electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Hong Kong has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislative Council, paving the way for it to become law as early as next month.

The bills committee on the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 concluded its final meeting on Friday with little fanfare, and the legislation is now ready to advance.

As the curtain fell on the first stage of the legislative process, chairman Wong Ting-kwong announced he would report back to the House Committee on September 24 in accordance with routine procedure.

No vote was taken on Friday, as the bill did not require one to clear the committee. However, members failed to agree on when it would return to the chamber for its second reading, when a vote would take place. Wong said he would decide whether to bring the bill back on either October 13 or 20 after discussing it with the Legco secretariat.

Bills committee chairman Wong Ting-kwong. Photo: Nora Tam

Proposing the bill – which would outlaw the import, production, distribution, sale and promotion of alternative smoking products, including e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn tobacco products and herbal cigarettes – Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government had always put the health of residents first.