On April 30, 2022, what some people in the industry called the "strictest in history" e-cigarette ban came into effect in Hong Kong, China. One and a half years after it came into effect, reporters conducted an undercover investigation into the Hong Kong e-cigarette market in December 2023 and discovered the chaos of high prices and rampant fakes. Local e-cigarette consumers can only obtain lower-quality products at higher prices through informal channels.
In this regard, the reporter contacted the Hong Kong Department of Health based on the investigation results. In its response, the department reiterated the government's position on protecting public health, citing the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019, which came into effect on April 30, 2022, stating that Hong Kong now prohibits the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and Promote alternative smoking products including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes.
The department also mentioned the public consultation document "A Vibrant, Healthy and Smokeless Tobacco Hong Kong", through which the public and the media can express their opinions.
