Press Releases

SHWF urges community to join hands to fight tobacco-related diseases

        The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, today (May 31) appeals to the community to join hands to fight against tobacco-related diseases by supporting the smoke-free workplace policy.

        Speaking on the World Health Organisation's World No Tobacco Day, Dr Yeoh said smoking had been the single largest preventive cause of death in Hong Kong that had drained substantive resources in public health.

        He pointed out that more than 5,500 people died prematurely each year (or 15 people a day) because of tobacco related illnesses even though the smoking prevalence in Hong Kong had stayed at around 15 per cent over the years.

        "If we can further contain the smoking problem in Hong Kong, we can put our precious health care resources to areas that warrant more of our attention.

        "Every individual in the community has a responsibility to look after their personal health as well as their family's. As the Government is in the process of tightening up existing anti-smoking law, it may be an ample time for smokers to kick the habit to improve their health and to protect their family members' health," he said.

        According to Hospital Authority's estimate, Hong Kong spends about $900 million a year in treating tobacco-related diseases.

        To take the Government's efforts on anti-smoking to a new height, Dr Yeoh said proposed amendments to the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance were being developed.

"Our plan was to consult the Legislative Council on the regulatory details by the end of this year, he said.

        These amendments would seek to expand the statutory no-smoking area to all indoor workplaces to protect workers' health and to further tighten the control of tobacco promotion to minimise people being influenced by tobacco advertisements, he added.

        To put weight behind the community's effort against smoking, the Government has intensified its anti-smoking education and publicity since late 1970s. The Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance was first enacted in 1982 and has seen progressive tightening over the past two decades. The last amendments were passed in 1997.

        The bureau's initiatives to tighten the law would be a strong complement to the risk communication, enforcement, advocacy and educational efforts being made by the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health and the Tobacco Control Office.

        The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health - a statutory body - was established in 1987 to educate the public on the hazards of smoking, to perform smoking-related researches and to advise the Government on smoking issues.

        In 2001, the Tobacco Control Office was set up under the Department of Health to enhance Government's control efforts and smoking cessation clinics have been established in public clinics and hospitals.

Ends/Monday, May 31, 2004

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