Hong Kong’s minister for health has confirmed reports that the government is considering banning tobacco access to younger adults. This is an effort by the government to reduce the number of youths smoking cigarettes.
Lo Chung-Mau, secretary of health confirmed the government’s intention of tightening tobacco laws in a televised interview on Tuesday. One government advisor was quoted saying that the authorities were planning completely ban tobacco access to individuals born after 2008.
“Although Hong Kong has the lowest smoking rate in the world, we should not relax our efforts. Let us not allow our generations to be tempted into the menace of tobacco products and other drugs” said the health minister while speaking at the 40th anniversary of Tobacco Control in Hong Kong.
The minister said that gradually raising the legal age of purchasing tobacco products will make future generations unable to buy such products in their lifetime.
Without clarifying how the plan would be implemented, the health minister said that the government was exploring experiences other countries used to stop young people from smoking.
Los’s remarks came after the chairman of one of the tobacco regulatory bodies, Henry Tong Sau-chai cited the health minister admitting that the government was looking at using the New Zealand method to minimize access to cigarettes in the country.
The country’s lawmakers in July passed a draft bill that would criminalize people born in 2009 or after from buying tobacco.
The proposed law will also limit the sale of tobacco products to specialized stores. The products are currently unavailable in supermarkets and local shops. But the bill doesn’t say anything about vaping.
Tong also suggested increasing of tobacco tax to discourage more people from smoking. If the proposals are implemented, a pack of cigarettes will rise to HK$100 from the current HK$60.
