Association calls on gov’t to strengthen tobacco control policy

Smoke-free & Healthy Life Association Macau is calling for a more rigorous measure to reduce smoking, especially among young people. 

The law review proposal aiming at banning e-cigarettes in the city passed in a first reading in June in the parliament, with the government considering banning the production, sale, distribution, import, export and transport of vapor products in the city.

The association said that despite the rise in use of electronic cigarettes among teenagers, the number of prosecutions for illegal sales of electronic cigarettes is only one to two per year. 

For the group, the government is not rigorous enough in implementing stricter measures for violators.

The association has called on the government to launch an online reporting platform to encourage residents to monitor whether online social media illegally promote and sell tobacco, and provide information so authorities could follow up.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Leong Sun Iok told Exmoo, “although residents can’t get the electronic cigarettes legally, the law does not prohibit residents from using electronic cigarettes.”

Leong suggested the government could prohibit the use of electronic cigarettes using this law, but set the second half of the year or next year as a transition period to allow residents to adapt before the law is implemented.

A study conducted by the Health Bureau (SSM) shows a 4% rate of e-cigarette use by students aged between 13 and 15, up 1.4 percentage points from 2.6% in 2015, pointing out that the problem of prevalence of electronic cigarettes should be highlighted.Staff Reporter