E-cigarettes and public vaping to be fully banned in Hong Kong from April 30

The clock is ticking, and the deadline is just under two weeks away. Whether you’re firmly in the ‘pry the vape from my cold dead hands’ camp or the ‘I’ll just go back to cigs’ group, there’s no denying that nights out will change a lot come April 30. 

As part of the Hong Kong government’s anti-smoking drive, the use of vapes and heated tobacco products will be banned from the final day of April. Even possessing small quantities for personal use can incur a fixed fine of $3,000 – already double the current penalty for smoking violations – while having larger quantities can lead to fines of up to $50,000, prosecution, and up to six months’ imprisonment.

What constitutes small or large quantities, you ask? Anyone carrying more than five vape pods or five ml of e-liquid, or more than 100 heat sticks or herbal cigarettes will face the maximum penalty sentence, while possession of smaller quantities will be slapped with the $3,000 fine. Considering that a regular disposable vape pen holds about six to seven ml of juice, it’s probably easier than you might think to exceed the possession quantity.

The rules against vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in Hong Kong from April 30 onwards will be stricter than most people expect. Simply carrying a vape that is switched on and ready to use while in any public place will be illegal. This applies to all electronic smoking devices, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, and the like. For now, they still haven’t banned vaping in private spaces, so it’s best to just keep your fruity clouds at home.

Tourists coming to Hong Kong should be aware that this blanket ban applies to them too – non-residents must also not carry or use vapes in public places. Bringing alternative smoking products into Hong Kong, even if only for personal use, will also be illegal.

With flavoured cigarettes (apart from menthols) also in the process of being outlawed because the government thinks they ‘entice young people to smoke’, perhaps it might be easier if we just tearfully locked in and kicked inhaling substances into our lungs altogether...

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox

Felix at The Peninsula is hosting vinyl DJ events every Thursday

Experience Wong Kar-wai’s iconic ‘Chungking Express’ accompanied by live jazz music