Group warns plain packs hinder Hongkongers’ efforts to detect smuggled cigarettes

Nearly 90 per cent of Hong Kong smokers cannot distinguish smuggled cigarettes from duty-paid ones under the government’s proposed plain packaging, a survey by an advocacy group has found. The Long-term Tobacco Policy Concern Group on Thursday also urged authorities to expand the function of the tobacco stamp duty system to allow consumers to scan QR codes and verify whether a pack is taxed. “With the current packaging, consumers could tell if a pack is taxed based on the brand labels and the...

By Leopold Chen