Hong Kong man jailed four weeks for importing 25,600 vaping products
A man arriving from Japan was sentenced to four weeks in jail after customs seized 25,600 alternative smoking products from his luggage. Health authorities said 36 people have been convicted since September under tightened anti-smoking laws, with sentences ranging from four weeks to eight months.
A man has been sentenced to four weeks in jail for illegally importing 25,600 alternative smoking products into Hong Kong, the city’s Department of Health announced on 23 October.
The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) said it received a notification from the Customs and Excise Department on 22 October that the products had been found in the man’s luggage after he arrived from Japan. TACO officers then arrested and charged him.
Since amendments to the Smoking Control (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 came into effect on 19 September, giving TACO inspectors arrest powers, the office has prosecuted 33 cases involving the importation of large quantities of alternative smoking products. A total of 36 people have been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, with terms ranging from four weeks to eight months, the department said.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), importing alternative smoking products – including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes – is an offence. On summary conviction, offenders face a fine of up to HK$500,000 and up to two years in jail. On conviction on indictment, the maximum penalty is a HK$2 million fine and seven years’ imprisonment.
Under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), no one may promote, manufacture, sell or possess alternative smoking products for commercial purposes. Offenders face a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and six months in jail upon conviction.
TACO said it would continue to closely monitor and enforce the law against such violations. The Department of Health also warned that alternative smoking products are addictive and not effective tools for quitting or reducing harm. E-cigarettes can increase the risk of cancer, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease, the department said, urging smokers to quit for their own health and that of others.
