Vaping Industry Hits Out At Government Over Ban

The vaping industry on Wednesday hit out at the government's plan to ban the import and sale of e-cigarettes, saying it could lead to vapers returning to tobacco smoking.

"People who want to vape and not smoke either have a choice to go back to cigarettes or to import electronic cigarettes by themselves,' said Nav Lalji, the chairman of the Asian Vape Association.

Lalji said it would not be difficult to bring vaping equipment over the border from Shenzhen or it could be bought online. He said Customs officers would find it hard to stop this and a black market would soon appear.

"It's definitely going to happen, sooner or later," he said.

The separate Hong Kong Vape Association says it regrets the government's plans.

A bill to be put to Legco next Wednesday would ban importing, making, selling, distributing or advertising e-cigarettes. People who bring them into Hong Kong could face fines of up to HK$50,000 or six months in prison, even if they are for personal use.

But under the proposed legislation it still won't be illegal to use e-cigarettes.

The Deputy Secretary for Health Amy Yuen says 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 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.