On 27 May 2026, the Secretary for Health responded to Legislative Council questions regarding online liquor sales regulation. The Government enforces the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations since 2018, requiring age verification for minors. TACO conducted over 2,600 inspections between 2021 and 2025, issuing over 600 advisory letters. Youth drinking prevalence has decreased significantly since 2011/12, meeting SAP targets.
This article was generated using SAMS, an AI technology by Timothy Loh LLP.
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Legislative Framework and Regulatory Obligations
On 27 May 2026, the Information Services Department conveyed a written response from the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, to Legislative Council Question LCQ17 concerning the regulation of online liquor sales. Under current legislation, it is unlawful to sell or supply intoxicating liquor to minors (persons under 18) during business operations. This prohibition extends to online platforms where minors might bypass restrictions through private messaging or courier services.
Since 2018, the Department of Health ("DH") has enforced the Dutiable Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 under the Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases ("SAP"). The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office ("TACO") prioritizes transaction regulation over seller licensing. Compliance requires sellers to display prescribed notices and secure age declarations confirming the purchaser is 18 or older. The Government currently does not mandate a liquor licence for online sales, focusing instead on preventing youth access to protect public health, aligning with WHO recommendations on reducing alcohol-related harm.
Enforcement Actions and Business Registration
Regarding business registration, the Inland Revenue Department ("IRD") mandates compliance with the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) for unregistered entities. Over the past five years, the IRD has not prosecuted businesses selling alcohol online without registration, though statistics on advisory issuance remain unavailable. Concurrently, between 2021 and 2025, TACO executed over 2,600 online inspections, issuing more than 600 advisory letters for failures to implement age declaration or notice requirements. All entities addressed cooperated fully with corrective actions, and there were no instances of repeated non-compliance. TACO is currently evaluating big data and artificial intelligence to enhance inspection efficacy.
Public Health Campaigns and Statistical Trends
The DH initiated the "Young and Alcohol Free" campaign in 2016, with the most recent iteration launching in 2025 across social media, public transport, and government venues. Data collection on youth substance use is regularly conducted by the Security Bureau’s Narcotics Division. According to the Survey of Drug Use among Students, youth drinking prevalence has declined since the Amendment Ordinance took effect. This trend meets the SAP target of a 10 per cent reduction from 2011/12 levels by 2025. Specific figures from 2011/12 to 2023/24 show a decrease in ever drinking prevalence from 56.0% to 40.4% (-27.9%), 12-month drinking from 41.0% to 27.9% (-32.0%), and 30-day drinking from 18.4% to 14.3% (-22.3%).
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