That spike in the fine is among a series of anti-smoking measures *in a bill* gazetted on Friday, with officials also planning to ban smoking in public transport queues.
Currently, those who bring in more than 19 sticks of undeclared cigarettes for personal use are subject to a fixed penalty of HK$2,000.
To crack down on illicit cigarettes, officials *also* want to bring in validated duty stamps on retail packaging for specified tobacco products.
The stamps would be mandatory for proving that payments have been made.
The sale of tobacco products that come without such stamps or with counterfeit stamps will be criminalised, and offenders could face up to a HK$2 million fine and seven years’ imprisonment.
Under the gazetted bill, the government is also seeking to introduce fines for those who smoke while queuing for public transport, or to enter a number of premises.
Offenders would be subject to a fixed-penalty fine if they smoke when there’s a queue *of* two or more people, including the smoker.
The premises include public places like cinemas, sports grounds, theme parks, hospitals and clinics.
Non-smoking areas near facilities like hospitals and government clinics, care homes and child care centres would also be expanded – to three metres next to their entrances and exits.
But officials have proposed a possible defence for people accused of such offences: it wouldn’t be a violation if there’s enough evidence to prove the person wasn’t aware of the entrance nearby.
The fixed-penalty fine for these offences would be doubled, to HK$3,000.
The tougher fine would take effect on January 1 if the legal amendments are passed.
The proposals are due to be tabled in the Legislative Council for first reading on Wednesday.
