Some Hong Kong residents are still vaping in hidden corners despite a new ban on the public use of alternative tobacco products, the South China Morning Post has observed, with at least two penalised by authorities.

“We will issue penalty tickets without warning, and step up publicity in high-traffic areas such as business districts,” Head of Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office Dr Manny Lam Man-chung said, stressing that the new measure would not undermine tourism.

A morning patrol in Admiralty’s...