Overview
- The new rule, which took effect April 30, outlaws carrying electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco in any public place across Hong Kong.
- Violations bring a fixed fine of HK$3,000 for possession, with large quantities punishable by up to HK$50,000 and six months in jail.
- Tourists are covered by the ban, so visitors face the same penalties as residents if caught with these devices in public.
- Conventional paper cigarettes are not included in the prohibition, which targets vaping devices and heat-not-burn tobacco products.
- The measure follows a 2022 ban on sales and shifts enforcement from limiting supply to policing possession in public spaces.