86% of Hong Kong Teens Use E-Cigarettes, Raising Concern

According to a report from Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily on the 29th, a study by the University of Hong Kong shows that the proportion of teenagers aged 25 or younger using new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco has reached a record high, soaring to 85.9% from 2019 to 2020, an increase of 13 percentage points from the previous year, marking the third consecutive year of growth, which is concerning.

The "University of Hong Kong Youth Smoking Cessation Hotline" survey indicates that 51.3% of respondents cited curiosity as the main reason for using new tobacco products, followed by peer influence (37.3%) and the desire to use new tobacco products to quit smoking or reduce cigarette consumption (21.6%). Respondents generally believe that new tobacco products are "healthier" than traditional tobacco products, mistakenly thinking they can help quit smoking, which has the opposite effect and encourages them to use more new tobacco products. Additionally, respondents mentioned being attracted by the diverse online promotions, trendy packaging, and designs, and friends often recommend and share with each other.

The regulation of traditional paper tobacco in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan is very strict, but e-cigarettes, as a "new phenomenon" that has emerged in recent years, have remained in a gray area. In October 2018, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced in her second policy address that Hong Kong would fully ban e-cigarettes. The Hong Kong government subsequently submitted a bill to the Legislative Council, proposing to ban the import, manufacture, sale, distribution, and promotion of e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products, with a penalty of HKD 50,000 and six months imprisonment upon conviction. The medical community in Hong Kong believes that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, various heavy metals, and formaldehyde, which are potentially harmful compounds that seriously endanger health. However, the public generally misunderstands their existence, underestimating the health impacts of e-cigarettes while mistakenly believing they help with quitting smoking. Nevertheless, the e-cigarette ban has faced opposition and resistance from many Hong Kong legislators and some groups, arguing that the research data cited in the legislation is inaccurate and that the subjects of the studies were outdated "simulated cigarette" e-cigarette devices, not the mainstream products currently on the market. After a prolonged struggle, the Legislative Council's Smoking Bill Committee announced in June last year that it would cease discussions on the ban, temporarily abandoning plans to prohibit new tobacco and vapor e-cigarette products.

Professor Lam Tai-king from the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine stated that the latest survey results highlight the urgent need for immediate action and urged the Legislative Council to pass the government's proposal to comprehensively ban new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.