Press Releases

Legislative proposals to expand statutory no smoking areas to protect public health

     With the adoption of the international "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" and strong local demand for tighter tobacco control, it is opportune to introduce legislative proposals to extend the statutory smoking ban to more premises to protect the public from the health hazards of passive smoking.

     The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said this in the motion debate on total smoking ban in workplaces in the Legislative Council today (October 20).

     On the scope of extension, Dr Chow said the Government was planning to introduce legislative amendments to ban smoking in all indoor workplaces, food premises and bars.

     Knowing that employers and food premises operators might need time to adapt to the new regulations, he said the Government was actively considering incorporating grace periods in the legislative proposals to help the stakeholders and concerned groups to tide over the regulatory changes.

     To further prevent youth smoking and to foster a smoke-free learning environment, Dr Chow said the Government would propose extending the statutory smoking ban from venues frequented by teenagers such as shopping malls, cinemas, games centres to schools, universities and tertiary institutions.

     Under the proposed amendment bill, smoking ban would apply to both the indoor and outdoor areas of all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and in the indoor premises of universities and tertiary institutions.

     As teenagers would still be exposed to promotional messages of tobacco products outside schools or public entertainment venues, the proposed amendment bill would further tighten control over the sale and promotion of tobacco products and allow health warnings to contain pictorial and graphic contents on tobacco packages.

     Dr Chow said he hoped to introduce the amendment bill to the Legislative Council in this legislative year.

     In making legislative changes, the Government would increase the statutory powers of the Tobacco Control Office as well as expand its scope of work and establishment to facilitate smooth implementation of the new legislation.

     The Government would also work out a comprehensive publicity plan to help the trade and members of the public understand the new legislative requirements on tobacco control to improve the situation of passive smoking in Hong Kong.

     Dr Chow stressed that creating a smoke-free city would require both government actions and the concerted efforts of the Legislative Council and the community at large.

     According to World Health Organisation figures, tobacco related illnesses claimed a life every ten seconds around the world. In Hong Kong, 16 deaths were due to tobacco related illnesses daily.

     Smoking prevalence in Hong Kong had stayed at a relatively low level of around 15 per cent but smoking still killed about 6,000 people a year.

     In terms of financial burden, the estimated cost of treatment in the public sector of diseases directly attributable to smoking amounted to a yearly average of $900 million between 2001 and 2003, an increase of 40 per cent when compared with the figures in 1996. Passive smoking also posed great risk to the health of the public. Prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke could cause many serious illnesses such as lung cancer and heart disease.

Ends/Wednesday, October 20, 2004

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