The Hong Kong government’s proposed laws to curb smoking, including banning the possession of e-cigarettes in public, will have no impact on tourism, a legislator has said.
David Lam, chairperson of the Panel on Health Services in the Legislative Council (LegCo), said on an RTHK programme on Monday that cases from other places around the world showed stricter anti-smoking policies would not have any impact on tourism after a period of adjustment.
“Think about a metropolitan city. When you present yourself to brands around the world, is it better to be seen as a smoking hub or a healthy hub?” Lam said in Cantonese. “I think a healthy hub is better.”
Lam said he supported the proposed legislative amendments, but he considered it “a bit too slow” for some measures to take full effect in 2027.
The government unveiled the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2025 last week, which includes plans to ban alternative smoking products in public like e-cigarettes, prohibit the sale of tobacco products with added flavours, and expand statutory non-smoking areas.
Lam, who is also a physician, shared his main concern about tobacco products with added flavourings. These flavourings mask the unpleasant smell of traditional tobacco, potentially attracting non-smokers to try them, he said.
“The government has no plan to outlaw products with menthol for now, which is rather disappointing because we know that menthol attracts a lot of people and is a flavour that many people use,” Lam said in Cantonese.
In Hong Kong, 73 per cent of young smokers and 63 per cent of female smokers smoke menthol cigarettes, the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health said in a report released in October.
According to the bill, the government plans to ban the sale of flavoured smoking products in phases. The first phase, which targets products with specified additives, excluding menthol, is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2027.
The bill is set to be tabled at the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
Eddie Lee, deputy secretary for health, said on the same RTHK programme that the bill was drafted after the government outlined its smoking control goals last year, following a public consultation in 2023.
The programme host asked why the government chose not to tackle the sales of menthol tobacco products first, given their majority market share. Lee replied that various flavours that have gained popularity among young people in recent years were non-menthol, and their fruity flavours often led people to think they were less harmful.
“This is why we think we should tackle the new flavours first,” he said. “Smoking control is a step-by-step, multi-pronged [process].”
