According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the Tobacco and Health Commission proposed on November 3rd that Hong Kong residents born in or after 2009 should be prohibited from purchasing cigarettes by 2027.
Last year, the smoking population in Hong Kong dropped to 9.5%, reaching a single-digit percentage for the first time since tracking began. However, the city's Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, has pledged to further reduce smoking rates to 7.8% within the next three years.
Other proposed measures include doubling the current tobacco tax by 2023-2024, meaning a pack of cigarettes currently priced at HKD 60 (approximately RMB 55) will increase to around HKD 100 (approximately RMB 92). The committee stated that tobacco taxes should continue to increase over the next two years, resulting in a price of HKD 200 (approximately RMB 184) for a pack of cigarettes by 2025-2026.
The committee has also recommended expanding the city's no-smoking zones to include taxi and bus stops, as well as spaces within 10 meters of hospitals, schools, and community facilities.
At present, smoking is not permitted on public transportation in Hong Kong, as well as in hospitals, schools, parks, restaurants, bars, and overpasses in shopping malls.
Some legislators have expressed concerns about the proposed measures. Representative Xu Jiahui, representing the wholesale and retail industry, stated that after the proposed tax increase, poorer smokers will be unable to afford the product.
He is also opposed to the idea of a "smoke-free generation" because he believes it would limit freedom of choice.
The Long-Term Tobacco Policy Interest Group representing smokers is opposing the proposed tax increase, arguing that consumers may turn to purchasing illegal cigarettes rather than quitting, and that this measure could negatively impact the city's economic recovery.
Legislative Council President Henry Tong has also opposed a proposal to lift the ban on alternative smoking products in Hong Kong for economic stimulation.
In April of this year, Hong Kong banned the import, sale, or manufacturing of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and herbal cigarettes as smoking alternatives.
This legislation also prohibits tobacco products from being transported into Hong Kong for export via trucks or ships, with the exception of air transit of goods and transit goods staying on planes or ships.
Tong expressed concern that this legislation could lead to a "loophole," allowing alternative tobacco products to enter the community.
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