Coalition of Hong Kong Newspaper and Magazine Merchants
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Coalition of Hong Kong Newspaper and Magazine Merchants, Tobacco Tactics, updated 18 July 2023, accessed 11 April 2024.
Background
The Coalition of Hong Kong Newspaper and Magazine Merchants (CHKNMM) is a retail association representing over 35,000 newsstands in Hong Kong.1 It has lobbied against tobacco control policies including tobacco tax increases and graphic health warnings.
Relationship with the tobacco industry
CHKNMM members are newspaper vendors. Many of which sell tobacco products as part of their business.2
CHKNMM joined other retail groups and tobacco companies to establish the Tobacco Control Concern Group (TCCG) in 2009.34 Tobacco companies and trade associations reported to be part of TCCG include British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, Hong Kong Federation of Tobacco Industry Limited, and Pacific Cigar Company.4
TCCG has lobbied against tobacco control policies, in particular tobacco tax increases, using the industry argument that increases in tax will result in an increase in illicit trade.53
Activities
Lobbying against tax policies
In 2011, CHKNMM and TCCG lobbied against tobacco tax increases. TCCG urged the government to reduce cigarette tax to a “more reasonable level”, stating that “Raising cigarette taxes has been proved to be an ineffective way to help people to quit smoking”, and citing a supposed risk of illicit trade.53 CHKNMM added “Our business has seriously shrunk since the tobacco tax increase…we observed people buying illicit cigarettes instead of actually quitting smoking”.5
In 2023, CHKNMM again campaigned against tobacco tax increases, stating that it would not help reduce smoking rates at the expense of the vendors’ interests. It also stated that “around 20 percent of cigarette consumers convert to buy illicit tobacco”.2
Research has found that previous tobacco tax increases did not lead to an increase in illicit cigarette consumption in Hong Kong,6 and has noted that the tobacco industry has a history of inflating estimates of illicit trade in Hong Kong.7
TCCG has also used this argument to oppose tobacco control policies.
- See the TCCG page for more details.
Lobbying for newer nicotine and tobacco products
In June 2018, proposals were released by the government for newer nicotine and tobacco products to be regulated in the same way as conventional tobacco products. Later that month, CHKNMM submitted a response to the proposal (not publicly available).89
The government then proposed amendments and submitted the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 to the Legislative Council. This aimed to prohibit the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement of newer products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs). In April 2019, CHKNMM made written and oral submissions to the bill (not publicly available).10119
In May 2020, CHKNMM held a press conference asking the government to allow policy relaxations that, it argued, would support an improvement in newspaper business trade. One of the requests was that heated tobacco products (HTPs) be included in the existing tobacco control framework, allowing newspaper vendors to sell these products. CHKNMM argued that a ban on HTPs would lead to an illicit market.12
In September 2020, CHKNMM argued that changes to HTP regulations were required to increase vendor’s income, due to business being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the smuggling of illicit cigarettes, citing a decrease in business of more than 50 percent.13
The Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 bill, was ultimately passed on the third reading in October 2021, coming into effect August 2022.9
Lobbying against graphic health warnings
In May 2015, the Food and Health Bureau in Hong Kong proposed new tobacco control measures, including increasing the size of graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging.14 The chairperson of CHKNMM, reportedly met with legislators and stated in a media report “We are against how the Government has handled the issue…Without differentiation in packaging, it will become easier to manufacture illicit cigarettes, and more difficult for consumers to tell the difference.” CHKNMM also cited the implementation of plain packaging in Australia, claiming that smoking did not decline but instead allowed illicit cigarettes to flood the market,14 although research does not support this.15 In July 2015, CHKNMM attended a legislative council meeting regarding bill, where it formally opposed the changes. It suggested that instead, the Administration should improve public education on the health effects of smoking.16
Government discussions took place throughout 2016 and 2017.17 During this time, the CHKNMM made a joint submission to the legislative council with I Smoke Alliance and the Hong Kong Smokers’ Rights Concern Group (not publicly available).18 Both organisations are smokers’ rights groups which campaign against tobacco control laws.192021
In 2017, CHKNMM threatened to protest, and said that they would lobby officials if the government tried to go ahead with the plan to increase the size of graphic health warnings.22 Ultimately the bill was successful, and the law implemented in December 2017.23
Professor Judith Mackay, a Hong Kong-based senior policy adviser to the World Health Organisation (WHO) was quoted in local media:
“I’ve never, in the last three decades, seen such opposition, lobbying or filibustering of a tobacco bill in Legco…An army of tobacco executives, lawyers and their allies have descended on Hong Kong to try to obstruct, delay and prevent the legislation going through”.24
Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2005
In 2005, CHKNMM lobbied against a tobacco control bill which introduced a number of new regulations to protect the public from second hand smoke, and restrict tobacco advertising.252627
Tobacco Tactics Resources
- Tobacco Control Concern Group (TCCG)
- Illicit Tobacco Trade
- Countering Industry Arguments Against Plain Packaging
