Twenty-two-year-old Hongkonger Elio* started smoking at the age of 16, when he was studying abroad in New Zealand.
But what started as a way to kill time soon became a daily habit to relieve the stress of an uncertain future.
Despite suffering from a collapsed lung in 2020, he resumed smoking and drinking a few months after recovery, later switching to e-cigarettes amid rising tobacco taxes.
After the 2022 ban on the sale of vapes, he restricted his habit to one capsule every three days –…
Will Hong Kong vapers go underground as public possession ban kicks in?
