Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds at airport
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 2) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 3 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $700,000.
A 40-year-old Mainland male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cannabis buds inside his carry-on baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.
An investigation is ongoing.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 2) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 3 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $700,000. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds seized in the case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH holds Training Workshop on Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Intervention 2026
The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) organised a two-day Training Workshop on Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Intervention for healthcare professionals from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and Macao. The course concluded successfully today (September 4), with more than 130 healthcare professionals participating.
The training aimed to enhance healthcare professionals' skills in providing smoking cessation services. Content included smoking cessation counselling, prevention of relapse, treatment of tobacco dependence, motivational interviews about smoking cessation, case studies of smoking cessation and pharmacotherapy, providing healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary for different smoking cessation interventions and preparing them to help smokers quit smoking by various channels. As the legislation on the comprehensive smoking ban on construction sites has taken effect, this year's course also shared experiences and practices regarding assisting construction industry workers in quitting smoking, with the aim of working together to help construction industry workers quit smoking and establish healthy lifestyle habits.
Over 130 healthcare professionals participated in this year's training workshop, with approximately 20 per cent of them coming from the Chinese Mainland and Macao. This facilitated the exchanges of insights on tobacco control and the sharing of experiences in smoking cessation services among local and regional healthcare practitioners. Participants included representatives from non-governmental organisations that provide outreach smoking cessation support for working adults, with the aim of further promoting smoking cessation in the workplace (including construction sites). In fact, from December last year to July this year, non-governmental organisations subvented by the DH conducted over 230 outreach health talks for the construction industry, successfully attracting approximately 630 smokers working in the sector to use smoking cessation services to make quitting attempts.
Since being designated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in 2012, the DH has served as a regional hub for supporting training in smoking cessation treatment and services. Since 2021, a cumulative total of over 700 local and non-local healthcare professionals have participated in the training workshop on comprehensive smoking cessation intervention organised by TACO.
In addition to organising this training workshop on an annual basis, TACO organises the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control for tobacco control and smoking cessation practitioners across the Western Pacific region, and conducts the Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Smoking Cessation Training Workshop to help frontline healthcare professionals enhance their knowledge and skills in delivering cessation treatment. TACO has also prepared a variety of resources for healthcare professionals, including patient pamphlets, referral forms to cessation clinics, "Very Brief Advice" and "Brief Intervention on Smoking Cessation" delivery toolkits, online training courses, and a Practical Handbook for Smoking Cessation Treatments. These resources are designed to support healthcare professionals in helping smokers quit through various channels. Relevant information has been uploaded to TACO's website.
To safeguard public health, TACO will continue to promote smoking cessation services and provide support in cessation training and assistance. Members of the public can call 1833 183 or visit the smoking cessation thematic website for more information on quitting and the available support tools and services.
The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health organised a two-day Training Workshop on Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Intervention for healthcare professionals from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and Macao. The course concluded successfully today (September 4), with more than 130 healthcare professionals participating. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health organised a two-day Training Workshop on Comprehensive Smoking Cessation Intervention for healthcare professionals from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and Macao. The course concluded successfully today (September 4), with more than 130 healthcare professionals participating. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
