This Arrest is VERY scary in HK

[SMILIN]

Stubbed out

Patsy Moy and Beatrice Siu

Thursday, March 05, 2009

In what is said to be the first case of its kind, two men have been arrested for possessing electronic cigarettes.
A battery-powered machine delivers controlled doses of nicotine plus a sensation of smell that makers claim is healthier than normal cigarettes.
But the Department of Health has outlawed "e-cigarettes" as they appear to contain a high level of nicotine and have not been tested for safety.
The arrested men, aged 52 and 60, were grabbed yesterday at an outlet in Apliu Street, Sham Shui Po. One is thought to be a boss in the business.
Police also seized nine types of e-cigarette along with refills and 14 boxes of unregistered and restricted drug products.
The men were released on bail and told to report back in May.
Each e-cigarette is sold for between HK$200 and HK$500, with refills at HK$60 for five. A set, comprising inhaler, refill and charger, costs HK$600.
The maximum penalty for possessing or selling e-cigarettes is a HK$100,000 fine and two years' imprisonment.
According to Director of Health Lam Ping-yan, his department became aware of e-cigarettes when the World Health Organization sent out an alert.
Undercover agents have been trying to track down the cigarettes but were not successful until yesterday.
Advertisements for e-cigarettes have been pumped out since Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah slapped a 50 percent tax on tobacco last week. They claim they are a healthy replacement for cigarettes since there is less smoke.

But all products containing nicotine need to be registered with the department, which assesses them for safety and quality before they can be sold.
Lam said e-cigarettes are likely to be more addictive because they contain a high concentration of nicotine.
A laboratory test found that each refill contains 26 milligrams of nicotine - "more than that in a whole packet of cigarettes." People who have bought the cigarettes should dispose of them immediately or surrender them to the department.

 

[QueenInNC]

WTF?

 

[invidregis]

There is nothing more dangerous than a politician doing something for MY own good.

 

[RjG]

geez

here's the source of that, seems real

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=79120&sid=22983216&con_type=3

and

Alert issued on electronic cigarettes

 

[RjG]

Yet the Chinese court is upholding Ruyan patents, enforcing/protecting their right to sell them. How bizarre.

 

[QueenInNC]

Is this the beginning of the end?

 

[sanneke]

quote:
A laboratory test found that each refill contains 26 milligrams of nicotine - "more than that in a whole packet of cigarettes." People who have bought the cigarettes should dispose of them immediately or surrender them to the department


That's BS, because you know when you overdose on nicotine, you get light headed and dizzy.

If that was true we all would walk around with a constant headache.

 

[Idahojo]

This is totally bizarre! I doubt this could be the end once the Chinese figure out they can make money on this. It might raise our prices though.

 

[SMILIN]

This is so strange, I received it on my google alert today, along with a shipment from guess where? HKGo figure. Thought I would give a heads up. Aint it great, the power of Big tobacco, Big Pharm, and Big Gov.8-o

 

[Jest]

Shouldn't it be okay if they just lower the amount of nicotine per cartridge, or just start selling the juice separately so people can add their own amount? They don't have to pre-fill the cartridges.

 

[stpeters]

Shouldn't it be okay if they just lower the amount of nicotine per cartridge, or just start selling the juice separately so people can add their own amount? They don't have to pre-fill the cartridges.

The exact opposite I'm afraid. It will only be "OK" when you can't buy e-juice - only prefilled, taxed, stamped, and poorly regulated (hence leaving plenty of money left over) cartridges.

But for the time being, an uneasy truce may be reached in some countries by simply ordering a box of batteries, a box of atomizers, and a box of empty carts. Don't laugh, just do an ebay search for "vaporizer" and prepare to be outraged by how easy it is to get "delivery systems" for much more shady and tightly controlled substances...

Nicotine is this decade's whipping boy, isn't it? Alcohol and caffeine have also had there time at the post. Meanwhile research has just come out that indicates that caffeine can help prevent certain cancers. Maybe we need some of those researchers to unvillianify nicotine. Just a crazy thought.

 

[surbitonPete]

Hong kong still seems to function separately from China.

 

[swanee]

[more shady and tightly controlled substances... /quote]


The shady substance you refer to is medicinally legal in quite a few states and vaporizing is the healthiest way to ingest it..

 

[v2x]

Very strange indeed... hmmmm...

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

O God....here it goes.... it will only be a matter of time before the government is trying to dictate to us yet another aspect of our lives.


has anyone else caught the clip of mike huckabee responding to a question on how he believes the danger of smoking should be dealt with? He went on to say that blah, blah, blah actions should be taken and in this way the government can "condition people's behavior" ....CONDITION PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR.... unfortunately that is the mindset of many of the elitist politicians at the helm of our government.... as if we are just foolish little sheep to be herded, manipulated, worked, and taxed..... which in many ways we truly are.... this government is no longer a government of the people...it's gotten too big and now democracy is just an illusion put on by the elite to make us think we have any say in anything.... *sigh* just burns me up

 

[Nuck]

I agree with dEFinitionofEPIC. The loss of personal liberty during my lifetime has been staggering. Each younger generation is more and more conditioned to just accept government edicts as final. The method used is always the same..fear. Like the frog in the slowly boiled water, I'm afraid that the bulk of society has not even noticed the difference.

To this day, the idea that the government can force an adult to wear a seatbelt or wear a helmet infuriates me. It's my health and my safety and I'm quite willing to accept the risks.

Back to the actual topic...I will vape even after if it gets banned.

 

[Rorschach]

Hong kong still seems to function separately from China.

That is correct. Hong Kong is part of China but has its own legal system. It was only recently reacquired by Mainland China, but for all practical purposes we're still two different countries.

This issue is also being discussed in this thread:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-public-stop-using-electronic-cigarettes.html

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

I agree with dEFinitionofEPIC. The loss of personal liberty during my lifetime has been staggering. Each younger generation is more and more conditioned to just accept government edicts as final. The method used is always the same..fear. Like the frog in the slowly boiled water, I'm afraid that the bulk of society has not even noticed the difference.

To this day, the idea that the government can force an adult to wear a seatbelt or wear a helmet infuriates me. It's my health and my safety and I'm quite willing to accept the risks.

Back to the actual topic...I will vape even after if it gets banned.

right on there Nuck.... FEAR is their biggest tool... it's just sad to see. Our forefathers must be rolling in their graves.... its as easy for the government to take our freedoms as it is to take candy from a baby because we are not the conscious and aware public we ought to be.... we sit in front our televisions and suck up every last bit of garbage fed to us by the elitist controlled media and it just sickens me....... but like you said, the government won't tell me I can't vape.

 

[pwholmes]

Isn't Hong Kong one of those places where everybody smokes. I smell big tobacco on this one.

 

[jennydotz]

From the article:

People using e-cigarettes should stop. Smokers who want to quit smoking should seek advice from medical professionals. For more information click here

Since when do you need medical intervention to quit smoking? I'm suspicious. The CBS Dr. Said the same thing in that interview last week. Sorry, but the sad truth is that of everyone I've known who successfully quit smoking, 80% (a guess) quit cold turkey, or some self-imposed strategic cutback plan. Before my discovery of ECF, of course..

I clicked on the link ("for more info click here"--the word "here" was a link) and it goes to govt "tobacco Control" site. Wonder if HK big Pharm sponsors that.