The Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 was gazetted today.

The bill seeks to ban the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement of alternative smoking products, including electronic cigarettes, heat-not-burn products and herbal cigarettes.

The ban on import will cover parcels, cargoes and articles brought in by incoming travellers. Articles in transit, air transhipment cargoes and people in transit will be exempted.

The Government also proposes to ban possession for the purpose of manufacture, sale or distribution of alternative smoking products.

Exports of such products will not be banned and sellers can export the products to clear out their stocks.

The ban will come into force six months after gazettal of the ordinance upon passage of the bill.

A lenient approach will be adopted during the initial period after the ordinance comes into operation in cases where incoming visitors voluntarily surrender such products that they have brought to Hong Kong.

The bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on February 20.

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