EditorialVape possession ban is vital for protecting Hong Kong’s youth

Vaping is the bane of health and tobacco control authorities alike. The long-term health effects are still unfolding, and users of tobacco alternatives are more likely to eventually become addicted to tobacco smoking, whose harmful effects are well-established. Any development that reinforces those two messages, especially among young people, is an important contribution to community health.

What will be new from the end of this month relates to the possession of smoking alternatives. A law passed in 2022 banned the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and promotion of alternative products, but not possession. “We believe it is now the appropriate time to ban possession in public places as well,” said Dr Grace Wong Chung-yan, a senior medical and health officer. “This step is aimed at further protecting young people from developing a smoking habit.” Wong said young people who vaped were three to four times more likely to use cigarettes in the future.

The government says the amended tobacco control law also provides for a future citywide ban on such products. “The government decided to implement the ban in phases, starting with public places, due to concerns about the enforcement challenges of banning the products in private residences,” said Dr Manny Lam Man-chung, head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office. It remains to be seen how that challenge will be tackled. Meanwhile, a relentless awareness and education campaign about the health and environmental reasons for quitting smoking and vaping, or not starting, along with progressive tobacco tax rises is paramount to reducing the city’s smoking rate, which stood at 9.1 per cent in 2023.