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October 12th, 2018:

Bluffing on ciggy ban next

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=201105&story_id=50022661&d_str=20181012

Opponents of Carrie Lam’s policy to soon ban e-cigarettes have challenged the government to outlaw traditional cigarettes as well.

Lam’s response: she would not rule out doing so in the long run.

Speaking on radio, Lam said the government’s go-to measure to reduce the smoking population has always been raising the tobacco tax.

But she said she does not need the tobacco tax at all and would not mind a total ban on all cigarettes.

A caller asked: “We all know that cigarettes are harmful to health, but why didn’t you also ban traditional cigarettes? People using e-cigarettes will now turn to traditional cigarettes.”

Lam said since traditional cigarettes have been around for a long time, there are established measures to regulate them.

She added a bold idea like having a timetable to ban traditional cigarettes is possible “because I am relatively bold.”

However, Tsang Kwok-hang of the Asian Vape Association said the policy is like banning air guns but not real guns and said it would wipe out the small and medium-sized e-cigarette enterprises in Hong Kong.

“It’s like taking a step back. The tobacco market is dominated by several companies and this policy would force smaller companies and e-cigarettes stores to close down,” he said.

A dozen newspaper vendors also voiced their concerns, saying they are worried the ban would drive smokers to purchase heated tobacco products from illegal channels.

The group submitted a petition to lawmakers, hoping the government would drop the ban and regulate heated tobacco products, so vendors would not suffer from a loss of sales.

Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government changed its plan from mere regulating to banning e-cigarettes because it saw a huge backlash from the medical and education sector.

“We also saw studies from the US, Italy and Japan – countries that have not banned but have regulated e-cigarettes – showing that regulation would make it easier for teenagers to try the product,” she said.

Asked if she was worried the ban would force e-cigarette users to turn to traditional cigarettes, Chan said in her experience control policies have been effective in encouraging smokers to quit.