DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Regulatory Report: Hong Kong - HNB, Oral Tobacco and Nicotine Pouches" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Since 2019 the authorities in Hong Kong have been considering a ban on alternative smoking products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and herbal sticks (tobacco-free). The government's position is that alternative tobacco products constitute a threat to public health and measures should be taken to prevent a potential increase in tobacco consumption.

The government-sponsored Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 is under consideration by a special committee of the Legislative Council. During 2019-2020 the relevant legislative conferences were delayed due to the pandemic. Official documents reveal that legislators' opinions differ about whether to introduce an absolute ban on heating tobacco or only some restrictions on aspects such as sale and usage.

Owing to a lack of time before the end of the Legislative Council's term, the discussions ended in June 2020 and taken up again last October. It remains to be seen whether formal regulations will appear this year. Hong Kong's current Legislative Council members had their tenure extended by the postponement of the 2020 elections to 5th September 2021 and debate on this bill is expected to be concluded by that date.

However, Hong Kong Customs has de facto prohibited the import of heated tobacco products, by not issuing licences, suggesting an antagonistic overall policy towards reduced-risk tobacco products.

The current ban on oral tobacco products and the pharmaceutical classification of nicotine pouches are not expected to change in short term.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

2 Outlook

3 Hong Kong: the Basics

4 National Regulatory Framework

5 Age Restrictions

6 Product Restrictions

7 Labelling and Packaging

8 Obligation to Notify

9 Retail Channels Restriction

10 Public Usage

11 Advertising and Marketing

12 Taxation

13 Relevant Laws

14 Relevant Bodies

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sdpivx

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