Will Hong Kong vapers go underground as public possession ban kicks in?

Survey finds that among 301 alternative tobacco users, 55 per cent intend to continue vaping discreetly, while 35 per cent plan to switch back to traditional cigarettes

Twenty-two-year-old Hongkonger Elio* started smoking at the age of 16, when he was studying abroad in New Zealand.

But what started as a way to kill time soon became a daily habit to relieve the stress of an uncertain future.

Despite suffering from a collapsed lung in 2020, he resumed smoking and drinking a few months after recovery, later switching to e-cigarettes amid rising tobacco taxes.

After the 2022 ban on the sale of vapes, he restricted his habit to one capsule every three days – equivalent to 20 cigarettes in terms of nicotine content – but continued to purchase pods online to sustain his supply.

He vapes only in private to avoid enforcement officers.

“If I haven’t vaped in a while, I feel really down and lethargic,” he said.