Lo Chung-mau describes e-cigarettes as "sugar-coated poison" amid stricter tobacco control

And back in Hong Kong, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau called e-cigarettes 'sugar-coated poison' as the city presses ahead with tobacco control measures.

Hong Kong's smoking rate has fallen to a record low of 8.5 percent according to the latest government data.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said both the number of smokers and average cigarette consumption per person have declined significantly in recent years.

This as the government banned the possession of alternative smoking products in public places starting last month.

Lo said stricter controls are necessary, noting that around 70 percent of young people who try smoking for the first time begin with either flavoured e-cigarettes or flavoured conventional tobacco products.

He said e-cigarettes are "cruel".

He criticised the design and marketing of some e-cigarettes, saying they are deliberately made to resemble colourful toys and are often sold with fruit flavours such as strawberry,

apple and orange.

Lo described e-cigarettes as "sugar-coated poison", saying the term best captures the dangers they pose to young people.

The government plans to introduce standardised cigarette packaging by the end of next year and will also roll out tax-paid tobacco labels to combat illicit cigarette trading.

Authorities will then move on to handle favoured tobacco products.

Meanwhile, Lo said Hong Kong has activated a heightened alert while addressing the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa.

He said the city's health authorities are closely monitoring developments through the World Health Organization and affected countries, while screening measures for travellers arriving from Africa have been strengthened.

Lo stressed that the overall risk to Hong Kong remains low, as Ebola cases are currently concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda.

However, he warned that Hong Kong's status as an international transport hub means authorities cannot afford to be complacent.

He also advised residents to avoid travelling to areas affected by the outbreak.