Hong Kong could see a complete ban on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products soon, after the city’s largest party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, throws its support behind it.
DAB lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong, chairman of the Bills Committee on Smoking, said the government has asked him to host a meeting Friday next week, which would see the government finalize its stance on whether or not to ban all these new tobacco products.
According to reports, the DAB had called an internal meeting earlier and had decided to throw their support behind the motion of a complete ban on the new tobacco products.
With DAB lawmakers making up more than half of the committee members, the legislative amendment of banning all new tobacco products will most likely go through within the current Legco term.
The bill that would amend the Smoking Ordinance by targeting new tobacco products was introduced in February 2019 to outlaw the importation and sales – but not consumption – of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
The Standard – 2021-09-02.
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