HONG KONG -- Hong Kong needs to quickly strengthen its regulatory and legislative framework to better control and regulate e-cigarettes, health secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Wednesday.

"We are very concerned about the existence of e-cigarettes," Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan told media after a meeting at the Legislative Council (LegCo).

"According to international studies and some of the testing of e-cigarette samples in Hong Kong, we have discovered that many of these constituents in electronic cigarettes are harmful to health," Chan said.

"So we need to quickly strengthen our regulatory framework and legislative framework in order to better control and also regulate e-cigarettes," she added.

Chan said the HKSAR government has submitted to the LegCo a proposal about strengthening regulation on e-cigarettes, and tax on e-cigarettes will be considered during the legislation.