Letters | Rethink measures against e-cigarettes for a smoke-free Hong Kong

Readers discuss the city’s policy on alternative smoking products, the ‘silver economy’, and the fake-degree industry

Reading Time:3 minutes

People vape in Central district on April 25. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 11:30am, 6 Jun 2025

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I refer to “70% of Hongkongers under 25 have tried e-cigarettes: university poll” (May 23).

While some support a complete ban on alternative smoking products (ASPs), their widespread use is crystal clear evidence that the current ban on selling ASPs is not working.

This ban was imposed in 2022 and the tax on tobacco was increased twice, in 2023 and 2024. But between 2021 and 2023, the number of smokers only dropped by 9,200, a decline similar to previous years.

With nearly 600,000 smokers remaining, is banning ASPs truly the best way to accelerate the drop in the smoking population and achieve a smoke-free Hong Kong?

Around the world, there are more countries that regulate ASPs (more than 80) than ban them. The United Kingdom’s “swap to stop” programme and the United States Food and Drug Administration’s authorisation to sell some products as “modified risk tobacco products” are important examples of a global shift towards pragmatic, science-based solutions.

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