On June 2, the Hong Kong Legislative Council’s (Legco) Smoking Bill Committee announced that the discussion on the proposed ban on e-cigarettes, heated unburned tobacco products (HTP) and other electronic nicotine has been stopped.

The committee was established in March 2019 to debate on a proposed bill that would impose a near-total ban on the use of e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products. Some members of the committee strongly opposed the ban, citing scientific studies supporting the harm reduction of electronic cigarettes.

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has welcomed Hong Kong Legco decision to suspend discussions on the proposed ban of vapor products, saying this will provide smokers with safer smoke-free alternatives: members from India and Thailand stated they hope Hong Kong’s decision will pave the way to consider e-cigarettes as harm reduction instruments in their countries too.

The regulation of HTPs and e-cigarettes could be the next step for Hong Kong, as CAPHRA itself hopes?