Body cameras are being introduced in Hong Kong for frontline Tobacco & Alcohol Control Office (TACO) inspectors beginning August 20, 2025. The move is to help collect evidence during smoking-ban enforcement, according to a TACO release.

“Starting tomorrow, tobacco and alcohol control inspectors will wear body cameras while they are discharging their duties and will record on-site situations when necessary,” the department said on Tuesday.

The department added that those subject to filming would be notified “prior to the commencement of recording in order to safeguard the safety of the public and enforcement officers as well as to collect evidence”.

There was a notable increase—about 31 percent—in fixed penalty notices issued for smoking violations in 2024, rising from 10,261 in 2023 to 13,488 in 2024. This latest escalation is expected to potentially double the number of violations in 2025.

The new measure aligns TACO with other departments like the police and hawker control teams that already utilize body-worn cameras; strict data protections apply, including a 31‑day retention limit for non-evidential footage.