The Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement on Friday that in the first half of this year, its enforcement officers conducted a total of 130,955 venue inspections, averaging 724 inspections per day, detecting a total of 3,131 smoking offences during this six-month period.
The statement noted that the joint enforcement operations, consisting of the Health Bureau, Public Security Police (PSP), Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) and the Macao Customs Service (SA), uncovered a total of 2,753 cases of illegal smoking, 323 illegal cases of importing or exporting electronic cigarettes, as well as 51 cases involving the failure to post statutory “No Smoking” signs in required locations and failure to display notices prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to individuals under the age of 18 at retail outlets.
The statement pointed out that the top three venue categories where the highest number of illegal smoking offences were discovered included 504 cases in restaurants (18.3 percent), 402 cases in casinos (14.6 percent), and 368 cases at public transport interchanges or stops (13.4 percent).
Only 4 alcohol consumption control cases in H1
Regarding alcohol control, a total of four cases of suspected violations of the local alcohol consumption control law were recorded in the first half of 2026. Among these, two cases involved the illegal sale or provision of alcoholic beverages to minors. Other offences involved failing to provide mandatory alcoholic beverage information as required by law. The four cases have been filed to address all relevant violations, the statement added.
During recent routine inspections, SSM tobacco and alcohol control enforcement officers discovered that some bars were offering shisha (waterpipes to smoke tobacco) to customers. The statement underscored that bars are strictly non-smoking venues.
The statement added that according to the local tobacco prevention and control law, smoking is completely prohibited in all indoor public spaces and certain designated outdoor areas in Macau, with the sole exception of authorised smoking rooms at the local airport and casinos.
This undated handout photo provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) on Friday shows a bar that provided shisha smoking to its guests.
