China Hong Kong Considers Increasing Tobacco Tax to Reduce Smoking

According to the South China Morning Post, the Director of the Hong Kong Department of Health, Constance Lu, has revealed that the Hong Kong authorities are considering further increasing tobacco taxes in order to further reduce smoking rates. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether this measure will be included in the budget proposal of Financial Secretary Paul Chan next month. Hong Kong already increased tobacco taxes in February 2023.

According to Hong Kong media reports, the Director of Health, Dr. Con Chung-mau, stated in a lengthy interview with the South China Morning Post that "data from the World Health Organization and global experiences have confirmed that increasing tobacco taxes is one of the most effective methods in reducing smoking. We will definitely take this into consideration.

He also mentioned that following the increase in tobacco tax last year, there has been a three to fourfold increase in inquiries to the government's smoking cessation hotline. Currently, tobacco tax accounts for 64% of the retail price of cigarettes, which is lower than the World Health Organization's recommended 75%.

The current smoking rate in Hong Kong, China is 9.5%, with nearly 600,000 smokers in the Special Administrative Region. Authorities believe that by raising tobacco taxes, this figure can be reduced to 7.8% next year. Last year, the government conducted a public consultation on a tobacco control plan, which covered four strategies against smoking: regulating supply and demand, prohibiting promotion and reducing its appeal, expanding non-smoking areas and mitigating the harm caused by smoking, as well as improving education and supporting those who want to quit smoking. Director Lo stated that the government is analyzing the consultation data and plans to propose short-term and long-term strategies.