Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau today said the Government proposes to implement 10 tobacco control measures in the short term, including prohibiting the possession of alternative smoking products and banning smoking while queuing. 

The Health Bureau announced the proposed measures at a press conference this afternoon, which aim to combat illicit cigarettes in a more effective manner and protect non-smokers from tobacco hazards.

Other proposed measures include implementing a duty stamp system to differentiate duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones, increasing penalties for duty-not-paid cigarettes, prohibiting the provision of tobacco products to people aged below 18, as well as banning flavoured cigarettes.

The Government also plans to extend statutory no smoking areas to the designated areas at entrances and exits of designated premises, including child care centres, schools, residential care homes for the elderly and public healthcare facilities, in addition to increasing the fixed penalty for smoking in statutory no smoking areas to $3,000.

Prof Lo told the press conference that the Government put forward the 10 measures after considering factors such as their effectiveness, practicability and public receptiveness.

“The Health Bureau will continue to work with relevant departments to draft legislative proposals and study implementation details, aiming to introduce the proposed legislative amendments into the Legislative Council by the end of this year.” 

He also noted that the Government is taking a multipronged and, more importantly, incremental approach to implementing the anti-smoking measures.

“We understand that some people may have already been smoking for quite a long time. In order to try to change some of their behaviours, we need time for them to adapt.

“Over the past 40 years, we have been taking this incremental approach. For example, when we first started to restrict smoking in indoor areas, we took an incremental approach. Firstly, (we restricted smoking) in elevators, on the lower deck of land transport and subsequently (extended the restriction) to all indoor areas of restaurants, public areas and so on,” he added.

The health chief pointed out that the Government would like to adopt the same approach while extending the restriction to outdoor areas.

He also explained that going for the hardest measure in one go may not be the best approach because it could create a negative sentiment among those affected.