Explainer | What are Hong Kong’s proposed new anti-smoking measures and where will bans apply?

A ban on flavoured cigarettes, further limits to public smoking areas and increased penalties for illicit cigarette-related offences are among 10 short-term measures the Hong Kong government has announced to reduce the number of smokers.

The measures aim to lower the city’s smoking rate to 7.8 per cent in 2025, from the 9.1 per cent recorded last year. Authorities also plan to pass the legislation introducing the measures by the end of next year.

The Post unpacks the new curbs and what they mean for non-smokers and smokers alike.

1. How serious is smoking in Hong Kong?

Official statistics showed the latest smoking rate of people aged 15 or above was 9.1 per cent in 2023, which means about 577,300 people were smokers. The rate has come down from 23.3 per cent in 1982.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, in his maiden policy address in 2022, pledged to lower the rate to 7.8 per cent by 2025.

Men were more likely to be smokers, with the rate among males aged 15 or above at 16.4 per cent in 2023, or about 485,000 people. The rate for women was 2.7 per cent, or 88,000 people.

2. What will be the impact of a ban on flavoured cigarettes?

Health officials said that banning flavoured cigarettes, which they noted were popular among young people and women, would be among the 10 measures.