E-cigarette Ban To Come With Six-month Jail Terms

People bringing e-cigarettes into Hong Kong could soon face fines of up to HK$50,000 or six months in prison, even if the products are just for personal use.

A bill to be put to Legco next Wednesday would ban importing, making, selling, distributing or advertising such products.

But under proposed new legislation it wouldn't be illegal to actually use e-cigarettes.

The government said on Wednesday that a total ban isn't practical and would cause a lot of nuisance to the public.

But while people would generally be able to vape away without fear – if they could still find any e-cigarettes – fines of up to HK$5,000 are proposed for anyone using them in places where smoking is banned.

Deputy Secretary for Health Amy Yuen said the government hopes to “nip the problem in the bud”.

“As these products are still relatively new in Hong Kong, they’re not as entrenched as conventional products. We think we have a responsibility as a government to protect public health and to prevent these products from taking root in Hong Kong,” she said.

The government also wants tobacco control officers to be given more powers to deal with people suspected of breaching the ban – including the right to detain them.

Officials say in practice, this would mean officers stopping suspects from leaving the scene until the police arrive to help.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the move to ban e-cigarettes in her policy address last October. The ban would cover various types of heat-not-burn products as well as herbal cigarettes.