The Health Bureau today expressed regret over the inaccurate and misleading content in a report published by Sing Tao Daily on April 3 which quoted individuals' remarks on alternative smoking products (ASPs) and waterpipe tobacco.

The bureau rebutted the report’s claim that tobacco control policies would negatively impact tourists' perceptions, saying that it fully considered the tourism sector's situation when formulating the 10 short-term tobacco control measures which will not affect tourists' willingness to visit Hong Kong.

Regarding ASPs, it highlighted that Hong Kong has prohibited the import of ASPs, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products as well as any related devices, parts and accessories since April 2022. Both the sale or possession of ASPs for commercial purposes are also illegal, while possession for personal use remains permitted.

Tourists therefore, have been unable to bring ASPs into Hong Kong or purchase them upon arrival for three years. Three years after the implementation of the ban, Hong Kong's tourism sector has not been adversely affected and the number of passenger arrivals last year has even returned to pre-pandemic levels, with the number of passenger arrivals at land boundary control points exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

Additionally, Thailand and Singapore have also banned ASPs without any noticeable impact on their tourism numbers.

The bureau pointed out that claims that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's plan to further prohibit the possession of ASPs would deter tourists totally disregarded the fact that ASPs have already been banned from import and sale for three years.

It added that the report also omitted to explain the fact that tourists are currently unable to bring ASPs into Hong Kong or purchase them upon arrival, misleading both the public and tourists.

Moreover, ASPs are by no means "harm-reducing" products, as the report suggested. In fact, ASPs have been proven to release various toxic substances that can cause cancer, and damage the nervous and respiratory systems. The World Health Organization has also clearly stated that there is no evidence to suggest that ASPs could help with quitting smoking.

The bureau also pointed out that e-cigarette devices have been recently used as tools for drug abuse by way of inserting psychoactive substances such as etomidate, commonly known as "space oil", and heating to generate aerosol for smoking. Young people may become addicted to drugs by smoking e-cigarettes containing "poisonous capsules" without realising it.

The bureau has proposed banning the possession of related products to prevent harmful products like ASPs from continuing to circulate locally and to tackle the problem of "poisonous capsules" at its root.

As for flavoured tobacco products, the Government’s proposed legislation to ban the sale of flavoured conventional smoking products, which also applies to waterpipe tobacco, will not affect tourists visiting Hong Kong.

The proposal is to ban the sale of flavoured conventional smoking products, but not their consumption. 

Inbound travellers, including tourists, are still permitted to bring into Hong Kong 19 cigarettes duty-free or declare and pay duty on cigarettes exceeding this quantity under the existing mechanism, regardless of whether the cigarettes are flavoured or not.

The bureau reiterated that tourists and outside talent would consider a variety of factors when deciding to come to Hong Kong, such as overall tourism experience, development opportunities, humanistic literacies, quality of environment. Tobacco control work will not in any way affect the desire of tourists to visit Hong Kong.

On the contrary, the work will enable citizens and tourists to enjoy a fresher environment, in addition to making Hong Kong a healthier and more vibrant city, thereby enhancing the attractiveness to tourists and outside talent, which is also welcomed by most of the general public, it added.