From the Associate Editor
Hong Kong is in the final stages of passing a complete ban not just on e-cigarettes but also other next-generation products like HNB devices and herbal cigarettes. Once the ban is in force, anyone importing, making, selling, distributing, or promoting these products will be looking at a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and a fine of HK$50,000 (US$6,370) if convicted. Even those giving these products as a prize or gift will face the same penalties. Visitors to Hong Kong will have to throw away their devices at various entry ports. Officers will be “lenient” in a grace period of three months after the ban is implemented.
Once this ban is in force, Hong Kong will join 30 other countries where sales of e-cigarettes are prohibited. Interestingly enough, though, more than 40 other countries allow them. (Paradoxically, the vast majority of the world’s e-cigarettes are manufactured only a few miles away from Hong Kong Central in the Shenzhen special economic zone.)
Now, we’re not here to advocate for zero regulations on e-cigarettes and next-generation products. That would just be ridiculous and even downright dangerous. There definitely needs to be regulations in place on e-cigarettes and next-generation products. But, what’s hard to comprehend is that governments - which consider traditional cigarettes as detrimental to public health - are so keen to rule out obviously safer alternatives. Numerous studies have shown that the harmful elements from cigarette smoke are the carcinogens and tar that come from burning the tobacco. So, with that in mind, the industry has sought to reduce the potential harm caused by smoking cigarettes by developing alternatives that do not burn tobacco. Even Public Health (the Britsh government health authority) cited its conclusion back in 2015 that e-cigarettes were 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes. You would think that next-generation products would be a welcome alternative to goverment’s seeking to protect public health, wouldn’t you? Numerous studies have shown that e-cigarettes are helpful to smoking cessation. Why would governments issue blanket bans against them? Isn’t reducing the smoking rate what major public health policy governments have been pushing?
Cannabis was classified as a banned substance for decades. Now, a growing number of US states and even countries around the world are shifting their perspective, seeing that when used in the right measures, cannabis actually has some beneficial properties and is not necessarily as detrimental as it was thought to have been. Regulations are in place controlling cannabis, based on facts discovered in scientific studies.There should be a rational debate on substantially less harmful products such as HNB and e-cigarettes, and consideration of the science and studies rather than blanket bans issued by lazy governments informed by anti-tobacco zealots.