Anyone caught vaping in public in Hong Kong could soon face an on-the-spot fine of HK$3,000 (€341), it has emerged.
Possessing or using a vape in public will be considered an offence in Hong Kong from April 30, 2026.
According to an amended Bill gazetted by the Hong Kong government, vaping will also be illegal while queuing to enter shared spaces such as cinemas, sports and arts facilities, health clinics and public transport.
Import and sale of vapes already banned
The import, manufacture, and sale of vapes and heated tobacco products has been banned in Hong Kong since April 2022. Those who import vapes can be hit with a HK$15,500 (€1,393) fine and up to seven years in jail, while sellers and manufacturers can face a six-month jail term.
However, the current law does not cover the personal possession and use of vapes and vaping remains fairly common.
In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Friday, the Health Bureau wrote: “The lower income group is particularly vulnerable to the health and economic damage brought about by smoking, which could exacerbate the health or economic disparity between the rich and the poor.
“The healthcare system and society as a whole would also have to pay a heavy price for smoking-related diseases in terms of healthcare costs and economic losses.”
The government said it would not implement a blanket ban on possessing vapes at this stage. A spokesman said this was more complicated as some people might possess vapes as collectibles.
Five year jail term for selling flavoured vapes from 2027
E-liquids with flavours other than menthol are also expected to be banned in Hong Kong, an administrative region of China, from the second quarter of 2027.
Anyone caught selling these products would face a hefty HK$50,000 (€5,660) fine and six-month jail term. The exact date this will be implemented is dependent on the success of the first ban, the government has said.
From January 1, 2026, it will also be an offence to give either a conventional cigarette or nicotine alternative product to a person under 18 years old.
The amended Bill will be submitted to the Legislative Council for its first reading on Wednesday.
Currently around 580,000 adults in Hong Kong are daily smokers. According to a Thematic Household Survey Report on smoking patterns in 2023, the rate of residents aged 15 and above who smoke conventional cigarettes daily dipped slightly from 9.5 per cent in 2021 to 9.1 per cent in 2023.
Health authorities have set a goal of further lowering the smoking rate to 7.8 per cent this year.
Risks to smokers of banning safer alternatives
However, vaping advocates and anti-smoking campaigners warn that banning vapes outdoors will put this target out of reach. They warn it is likely to inadvertently drive smokers back to cigarettes by removing a far less harmful alternative.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau has said previously that once people have got used to an outdoor ban, it will be extended to include indoor places.
He added that many of the people still vaping in Hong Kong are relying on illegal imports and that vapes have become a “tool” for recreational drug use.
