Hong Kong to outlaw e-cigarettes in public by mid-2026

Hong Kong is set to tighten its grip on vaping with a dramatic new ban that will outlaw the possession and use of e-cigarette cartridges in public by mid-2026.

The city's top health official, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau, made the announcement on Sunday (February 9), reinforcing the government’s relentless war on tobacco and vaping culture, according to local media.

Despite Hong Kong’s 2022 prohibition on the import, manufacture, and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, vaping remains stubbornly common — fuelled by illicit trade and underground markets. Now, authorities are escalating their crackdown, according to the South China Morning Post.

Lo said the move is aimed to protect young people. Hong Kong will start by legislating against outdoor possession and use. Once the public is accustomed to it, the ban will be implemented "everywhere", said the official.

The proposal, first introduced last year as a sweeping ban, is set to go before the legislature in April. If passed, the first phase of the ban will target public spaces, as Lo acknowledged that enforcing it indoors presents "many challenges."

This move comes as the government battles an evolving vaping landscape. Authorities warn that many users now rely on illegal imports, and e-cigarette cartridges have increasingly been linked to recreational drug use.

Alarm bells

In particular, the rise of "space oil" — an anaesthaetic called etomidate that is inhaled via vaping — has set off alarm bells among law enforcement.

With Hong Kong aiming to slash smoking rates to 7.8 per cent this year, down from 9.1 per cent in 2023, the government is pulling no punches.

Already, the penalties for importing e-cigarettes are severe: offenders face up to seven years in jail and fines reaching HK$2 million (US$257,000), while sellers and manufacturers risk six months behind bars.

And the crackdown isn’t stopping there.

In April, alongside the vaping ban, the government will propose outlawing non-menthol flavored cigarettes, delivering another blow to the tobacco industry.

As Hong Kong moves aggressively to snuff out vaping, the message is clear: the era of e-cigarettes in the city is drawing to a dramatic close.