BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Since the early 2000s, the emergence of newer tobacco and nicotine products, including electronic cigarettes, Heated Tobacco Products, and nicotine pouches has caused harms to people of all ages and acted as a gateway to youth smoking. In 2019, the Hong Kong Government introduced the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 to the Legislative Council (LegCo) to prohibit the import, manufacture, sale, distribution, and advertisement of Alternative Smoking Products. However, the tobacco industry obstructed the scrutiny of the Bill by extensively lobbying legislators, spreading misinformation of new tobacco products via multiple channels, and bombarding the Government with legal documents and questions to delay the legislative process.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: The Hong Kong Government stood up to the interference from the tobacco industry, and unwaveringly proceeded with legislation accompanied by strong supports from local and international public health community, including the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH), the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, and academia. They jointly called press conferences and press releases, attended pro-ban rallies outside the LegCo, and published research articles in the media.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Nearly three years after experiencing the twists and turns on the road to implementation, the Bill was passed on 21 October 2021 and the Ordinance came into effect on 30 April 2022, which marked a significant milestone in Hong Kong's tobacco control work and a major achievement in public health.
CONCLUSIONS: The battle to ban new tobacco products in Hong Kong would not be possible without political will and the collective effort of the government, legislators, researchers, and civil society. When legislating a ban on new tobacco products, Governments from other countries should strengthen the legislative framework, engage and seek support from the community to countering opposition from tobacco industry, and monitor legislative effectiveness and enforce compliance after passing the bill.