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 four already penalised by authorities.

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

Alternative...