Hong Kong Government Urges Residents to Stop Using E-Cigarettes

According to the heated tobacco news network, on March 4, 2009, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Department of Health urged smokers not to use "e-cigarettes" as the safety, efficacy, and quality of the product have not been established.

A spokesperson stated that preliminary test results of e-cigarette samples show that the product contains nicotine. He mentioned that since e-cigarettes contain nicotine and claim to be smoking cessation products, they are classified as pharmaceutical products under the Hong Kong Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance and must be registered. The Department of Health has instructed relevant parties to remove advertisements and promotional materials related to e-cigarettes from the internet. It is understood that e-cigarettes resemble traditional cigarettes, generally made of stainless steel, and contain nicotine oil extracted from tobacco leaves.