The Hong Kong Council of Smoking and Health (COSH) on Tuesday urged authorities to set a concrete timeline and clarify details for tobacco-control measures that are still awaiting Legislative Council review.

Chairman Henry Tong noted that several policies – including a ban on non-menthol flavoured tobacco, a stamp duty system for cigarettes and the introduction of plain packaging – had been scheduled for implementation in the second quarter of 2027, yet no specific date had been finalised.

He also urged the swift enforcement of a ban on “smoking while walking", suggesting that rapidly expanding outdoor no-smoking zones would be the most effective short-term strategy.

He pointed to Shanghai’s Nanjing Road, a bustling shopping district, as a successful model.

"All of Nanjing Road is a non-smoking area. I found that, including tourists and the citizens in Shanghai, they are very law abiding. I didn't see anyone smoke on Nanjing Road," Tong said.

"This greatly reduced the harmful effects of second-hand smoke to the public. Hong Kong can model this to reduce the effects of second-hand smoke to harmful effects to the public."

With the fiscal budget announcement coming up next month, the council is also advocating for a significant increase in tobacco tax.

Citing automatic tax adjustment mechanisms in countries like Australia and the UK, COSH recommended raising the city’s tobacco tax to 75 percent starting in the next fiscal year, with annual increases thereafter.

Tong also called on the government to define a clear “smoke-free generation” timeline to encourage more people to quit.

These appeals are supported by recent survey data conducted by The University of Hong Kong commissioned by COSH between December 2024 and May 2025 that took in 5,600 respondents.

The survey found that nearly half of the respondents had been exposed to second-hand smoke in the seven days prior to the interview.

It said that common exposure locations included pavements, road crossings, parks and outdoor bars.