Increasing Hong Kong’s tobacco tax every year will effectively discourage smoking, says health secretary
- Health chief Lo Chung-mau says smoking rate drops 4 per cent for every 10 per cent increase in the price of cigarettes in developed countries
- Tobacco companies accused of ‘using the underprivileged as their shields’ by claiming increases will make their lives more difficult
Hong Kong’s health chief has said increasing tobacco taxes every year is an effective way to discourage smoking but has stressed that authorities plan to consult the public on the issue.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau made the suggestion on Thursday, a day after his bureau launched a 2½-month public consultation on anti-smoking strategies, covering 14 proposed measures ranging from increasing tobacco tax to banning people born after a certain date from buying cigarettes.
“For every 10 per cent hike in the price of cigarettes in developed countries, the smoking prevalence reduces by 4 per cent. The effect is even stronger in developing countries with weaker economies,” Lo told a radio programme on Thursday.
The government in February raised the duty on a pack of cigarettes by HK$12 (US$1.50), bringing the proportion of tax to 64 per cent of the total retail price.
“This is undoubtedly a very important measure, and our target is 75 per cent [of the retail price] as recommended by the World Health Organization, but how fast should we go?” he said. “We would need to hear people’s opinions on that.”
Lo also hit out at some tobacco companies’ suggestions that any tax increase on the products would only make the life of the underprivileged more difficult, given official data showed that about 65 per cent of the city’s smokers earned less than HK$20,000 a month.
These companies were “using the underprivileged as their shields”, he said.
Ban on cigarettes for Hongkongers born after certain date proposed
“We are not standing on the opposite side of smokers. In fact, we are in the same boat because we want them to live healthily,” he said. “The underprivileged are suffering the most from smoking. More than half of them are aged 50 or above, live in poor conditions and struggle financially. If you cared about them, you would not make smoking so convenient.”
Lo added the government was also considering following Singapore’s example and introducing an official label on tobacco products to further crack down on illicit cigarettes.
“With the new measure in force, the next step would be to discuss whether possessing and consuming unlabelled cigarettes, aside from selling them, should be made illegal,” he said, adding that the public should not turn to the cheaper choices because they could contain impurities and further harm one’s health.
Lo also acknowledged the enforcement challenges of banning “smoking while walking”, as raised in the consultation. He said the measure would protect residents from second-hand smoke and make smoking less convenient, adding that cross-departmental government officials would work out a solution.
Most of the suggestions in the consultation were open-ended, with no clear position shown and no concrete measures given. For example, the proposal for imposing a lifetime cigarette ban based on people’s birthdays does not give a recommended date.
A government source told the Post on Wednesday that the consultation paper had steered clear of aggressive proposals to avoid strong opposition from smokers and the retail and dining sectors.
Some proposals dropped from the paper included requiring shops to get a licence to sell tobacco, penalising third parties who gave or sold cigarettes to those under-18-year-olds, and requiring smokers to use a government app to prove their age when making purchases.
Hong Kong pharmacies to get 5,000 nicotine patch kits under anti-smoking drive
Asked in the radio show whether the consultation was watered down, Lo said the framework was comprehensive, as it also covered a proposal to create a “smoke-free” generation, which was deemed radical by many.
“I would say all possible measures have been presented. It’s just whether all details are mentioned in the questions asked. We are open [to discussion].”
“We do not have a position in mind. We wish to collect public opinion before devising concrete measures,” he said.
The city’s smoking rate is 9.5 per cent. The government aims to reduce it to 7.8 per cent by 2025 and eventually achieve a cigarette-free society.
Will raising tobacco tax cut Hong Kong’s smoking rate or boost illegal sales?
Daniel Ho Sai-yin, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong’s school of public health, agreed with Lo that the use of taxation was shown globally to be the most effective way to cut down smoking rates.
But the government would need to raise the levy from 50 per cent of tobacco’s retail price to the WHO’s recommended 75 per cent if it wanted to reach its target by 2025, he said.
“After meeting the proportion, I agree the tax could be increased a little each year,” Ho said. “We are only starting the consultation process now and running it until September … A year could pass before the government is able to enforce the tax increase.”
The increased levy could also benefit lower-income households in the long run since they could invest money previously set aside for cigarettes to improve their quality of life and support their children’s education, he added.
Joe Lo Kai-lut, the convenor of the Long-term Tobacco Policy Concern Group, which was formed by smokers, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of ramping up taxes.
“It is not easy for long-term smokers to quit smoking, even if they want to,” he said, citing a past study from the group that found 80 per cent of smokers would consider buying cheaper or even contraband cigarettes in response to a levy increase.
