■電子煙對人體的傷害，不比傳統煙草小。 資料圖片【原文】政府建議修例全面禁止電子煙、加熱煙等產品，規定入口、製造、銷售、分發及宣傳電子煙都屬違法，最高可判監6個月及罰款5萬元。雖然社會上對規管還是禁售電子煙有不同意見，但基於電子煙同樣危害健康，且有「戒煙替代產品」、代表新潮等的說法，很易誤導年輕人吸食，全面禁售電子煙確有必要。唯有如此，才能杜絕新吸煙產品對市民、尤其是年輕人的傷害，防患於未然，確保多年來的控煙成果。
電子煙、加熱煙近年悄然興起，醫學界、教育界早已強烈要求全面禁止。行政長官林鄭月娥去年在《施政報告》宣佈，為了保障兒童和青少年健康，將全面禁止電子煙、加熱煙、草本煙等吸煙產品的入口、製造、銷售、分發及宣傳。
電子煙的問題，首先是有誤導之嫌。不少煙商標榜電子煙「味道不如傳統煙濃、煙霧較少」，將其美化為健康的「戒煙神器」，令煙民誤以為電子煙有助戒煙，甚至較為健康。其次，電子煙較普通煙草產品對年輕人的禍害更大。煙商推出水果味、糖果味的電子煙，明顯就是為了吸引年輕人及女性消費者。吸煙與健康委員會三年前訪問小二至小四學生，發現2.9% 曾使用電子煙，一年後再做同類調查，比率已經上升至4.5%，按年大升55%，反映年輕人吸食電子煙的趨勢不容忽視。東華三院戒煙綜合服務中心的數據指，去年因吸食新型煙草產品求助的人數佔整體的5%，當中25至45歲求助者佔超過一半，最年輕只有22歲。
事實上，電子煙對人體的傷害，不比傳統煙草小。食物及衛生局及衛生署提交的《2019 年吸煙(公眾衛生) (修訂)條例草案》文件顯示，電子煙大多含有刺激物丙二醇，人體吸入後會引發呼吸系統疾病，例如哮喘及其他肺部炎症；吸用含有尼古丁的電子煙亦會令人上癮，增加患心血管疾病的風險。另外，有研究發現，經常吸食電子煙的成年人，從電子煙裝置吸入的尼古丁量，相當於經可燃煙草捲煙吸入的尼古丁量。
吸煙危害健康，增加醫療系統負擔，社會成本巨大，這是眾所周知的道理，反吸煙不能開倒車，電子煙不能因為披上電子的「外衣」而得到豁免。上世紀80年代以來，香港的反吸煙甚為成功，吸煙人口比例已由1982 年的23.3%下降至近年的10%。
世界各地對電子煙的規管則寬嚴不一，歐美相對寬鬆，新加坡、阿根廷、巴西、泰國等20多國則禁售。從保護青少年不受誤導、遠離煙草禍害的大原則考慮，本港禁售電子煙理所當然，值得社會各界支持。政府應繼續多管齊下鼓勵煙民戒煙，包括增加煙草稅、宣傳教育及提供免費戒煙服務，協助市民建立健康的生活習慣，打造「無煙香港」的清新環境。 （標題為編輯所加） （摘錄自香港《文匯報》社評14-2-2019）
Ban E-Cigarettes to Protect Hong Kong's Youth
【譯文】The government is proposing legislative amendments to ban the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products, with a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment and a fine of HK$50,000. As e-cigarettes have been branded as a novel and stylish "smoking alternative", teenagers are easily attracted. Although there is currently no public consensus on whether e-cigarettes should be banned or regulated, a total ban on its sale is necessary due to its harmful effects on public health. Only then will we be able to prevent the harm brought about by these new products from taking root, and ensure that our achievements in tobacco control over the years will not be undermined.
As e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco products emerge in recent years, the medical and education sectors have long urged the government to completely ban these new smoking products. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor responded in her 2018 Policy Address, pledging that the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products and herbal cigarettes will be banned in an effort to protect the health of children and teenagers.
Among the numerous problems of e-cigarettes, the first and foremost is misleading marketing. These new smoking products are often erroneously promoted as a healthier alternative to smoking or a cessation aid by manufacturers due to being "lighter flavoured" and producing "less fumes", thus misleading smokers into believing e-cigarettes can help them quit smoking. Second, e-cigarettes are way more harmful to adolescents than traditional tobacco products. It is obvious that the introduction of fruit-flavoured and candy-flavoured e-cigarettes are targeted at youngsters and females. In a 2016 study conducted by the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, ever use of e-cigarettes among primary 2 to primary 4 students was 2.9 per cent. When the same study was conducted a year later, a 55 per cent year on year increase was recorded as the figure surged to 4.5 per cent in 2017. The trend of adolescents' use of e-cigarettes cannot be ignored. According to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation, the number of people seeking help due to new smoking products last year accounted for 5 per cent of the total. Over half of them were aged 25 to 45, and the youngest was only 22 years old.
In fact, damage to the human body caused by e-cigarettes are not any smaller than that of tradition cigarettes. According to the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 submitted by the Food and Health Bureau and Health Department, most of the e-cigarettes contain propylene glycol, a known irritant that could induce airway disorders such as asthma and other inflammatory lung diseases when inhaled. The use of e-cigarettes would also become addictive if the product contains nicotine, and would increase cardiovascular risks. Moreover, a study showed that nicotine intake from e-cigarette devices among experienced adult e-cigarette users can be comparable to that from combustible tobacco cigarettes.
It is common knowledge that cigarette smoking is hazardous to health. Its social cost is huge as it causes a significant burden on the spending of the healthcare system. We must not take any regressive steps in tobacco control, and e-cigarettes must not be left out from regulation. Anti-smoking campaigns in Hong Kong have enjoyed much success since the 1980s, and the overall prevalence of smokers has dropped from 23.3 per cent in 1982 to 10 per cent in recent years.
The scope of regulations on e-cigarettes differ across the world - while they are relatively loosely regulated in Europe and the United States, they are already banned in more than 20 countries, including Singapore, Argentina, Brazil and Thailand. To protect adolescents from being misled into picking up the hazardous habit, the total ban on e-cigarettes is completely justified and worthy of public support. The government should continue to adopt its multi-pronged approach of taxation, publicity, education and free smoking cessation services in encouraging smokers to quit, so as to help the public to achieve a healthier living and build a cleaner and smoke-free Hong Kong.■Jeffrey Tse (ywc_jeffrey@hotmail.com)
Exercise
1. 吸食電子煙
2. 尼古丁
3. 焦油
4. 致癌物質
5. 私煙
Answer
1. vaping
2. nicotine
3. tar
4. carcinogen
5. illicit cigarettes