B. Conventional Smoking Products

B. Conventional Smoking Products

“Conventional smoking products” means cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, cigars or pipe tobacco.

Target of sale

It is prohibited to supply (sell or give) conventional smoking products to persons under 18 (maximum fine: $25,000).

Methods of sale and product specifications

• All cigarettes must be sold in packets of not fewer than 20 sticks; retail sale of single sticks is prohibited (maximum fine: $50,000).
• Cigarette packets and retail containers must display health warnings, tar yields and nicotine yields in the prescribed form and manner (maximum fine: $50,000).
• It is prohibited to sell, or possess for the purpose of sale, cigarettes with a tar yield exceeding 17 milligrams (maximum fine: $50,000).
• It is prohibited to sell conventional smoking products by vending machine (maximum fine: $50,000).
• It is prohibited to sell, or possess for the purpose of sale, conventional smoking products with free gifts attached, e.g. “buy cigarettes, get a lighter free” (maximum fine: $25,000).
• It is prohibited to sell, or possess for the purpose of sale, non‑smoking products that come with conventional smoking products as free gifts, e.g. “buy snacks, get cigarettes free” (maximum fine: $25,000).
• It is prohibited to sell, in the form of “package deals”, conventional smoking products bundled together with non-smoking products, or to possess such package deals for the purpose of sale (maximum fine: $25,000).

Markings

• Price markers and price boards must contain only the product name and price, are subject to size restrictions, and must display health warnings (maximum fine: $50,000).
• All points of sale must prominently display a bilingual (Chinese and English) sign clearly stating: 「特區政府諭禁止售賣煙草產品予十八歲以下人士或派贈煙草產品予任何人士」“BY ORDER OF HKSAR GOVERNMENT: NO TOBACCO PRODUCT SHALL BE SOLD TO PERSON UNDER 18 OR GIVEN FOR PROMOTION TO ANY PERSON” (maximum fine: $25,000).

Advertising

• It is prohibited for any person to display or arrange for the display of, or to publish or distribute for display, any form of smoking product advertisement (maximum fine: $50,000; for a continuing offence, an additional $1,500 per day).
• All smoking product advertising on television, radio, printed publications, the Internet and display‑type advertisements is prohibited (maximum fine: $50,000; for a continuing offence, an additional $1,500 per day).

Sales promotion and promotional activities

• It is prohibited to give conventional smoking products to any person for the purpose of promotion or advertising (maximum fine: $25,000).
• It is prohibited to give conventional smoking products as prizes in competitions or events to any person (maximum fine: $25,000).
• It is prohibited to give anything of value (e.g. gifts, cash coupons, discount coupons) as an inducement for any person to purchase particular conventional smoking products (maximum fine: $25,000).

• It is prohibited to display or give to the public any promotional items (such as clothing or daily commodities) bearing trade marks, brand names or similar designs of conventional smoking products (maximum fine: $25,000).