Date:2018-6-20 9:55:33 Clicks:732 【Font Size:
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Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) urges the Government to enact a total ban on e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products. COSH was extremely disappointed to find in the paper of the Legislative Council Panel on Health Services released today that the proposed regulation of e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn (HNB) products would be similar to the current regulatory regime of cigarettes and tobacco products. In fact, the Government proposed to ban the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertising of e-cigarettes in May 2015. The partial regulations in today’s paper is a regress.
Mr Antonio KWONG, COSH Chairman said, “COSH has serious concerns on the growth of electronic cigarettes and new tobacco products including HNB tobacco products in recent years. They are marketed as trendy products attracting non-smokers, particularly the youngsters to try. Some smokers may switch to these products instead of quitting smoking. There is no safe form of tobacco. Harmful chemicals were also found in e-cigarettes and emerging tobacco products bringing health risks to the public. The Government should ban these products as soon as possible to nip it in the bud.”
E-cigarettes and HNB tobacco products are claimed to release less toxins and are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. COSH believes such claim is a promotion tactic which aims to downplay the health risks. The long-term health effects of e-cigarettes and any tobacco products should not be underestimated. According to World Health Organization, all forms of tobacco use are harmful. Tobacco is inherently toxic and contains carcinogens even in its natural form. Some of the toxins and carcinogens do not have a safety level and harm human’s health. To prevent the potential health risks associated with the use and secondhand smoke of e-cigarettes and HNB tobacco products, as well as to stop these products from being a gateway to youth smoking, COSH urges the Government to implement a total ban on e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products including HNB tobacco products as soon as possible.