Hong Kong-listed vaping stocks plunged on 26 May, following an official warning of e-cigarette-induced damage to health, Global Times reported.

The plunge was triggered after China’s National Health Commission and the WHO jointly released a report on the health risks of smoking. The report says that there are currently more than 300 million cigarette smokers in the country, with a smoking rate for those aged 15 and above standing at 26.6 per cent.
Vaping device manufacturer Smoore International saw its shares slump nearly 20 per cent in the Hong Kong market near the end of the afternoon session, before finishing down 17.1 per cent. E-cigarette maker China Boton Group lost 17.94 per cent in Hong Kong trading, while Huabao International Holdings dropped 7.69 per cent, the report said.