February 22, 2001
The Department of Health (DH) today (February 22) announced the launching of the new Tobacco Control Office (TCO) to facilitate the public to comply with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance and build a smoke-free culture in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through multi-sectoral collaboration and community mobilisation.
The Assistant Director of Health (Special Health Service), Dr Cindy Lai said: "In the 2000 Policy Objective, the Government had pledged to enhance anti-smoking efforts through education and enforcement measures."
"The setting up of the TCO under DH is part of the anti-smoking measures."
"The TCO works closely with the Council on Smoking and Health, relevant Government Bureaux and Departments and non-governmental organisations."
Headed by Senior Medical Officer of DH, Dr Henry Kong, the ten-member TCO has a Nursing Officer, three Tobacco Control Officers, three Assistant Tobacco Control Officers and two supporting staff.
The TCO will:
Dr Lai said: "It is a well-established fact that smoking causes serious health hazards and is the largest single preventable cause of death and disease."
"To protect the health of the community, the Government's policy is to discourage smoking, to educate the public on the health risks involved, and to reduce people's exposure to second-hand smoke in indoor environment to the maximum extent possible."
"A multi-pronged approach has been adopted to control tobacco use. This includes the enactment of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, Cap 371 and its subsequent amendments to restrict smoking, sale and advertising of tobacco products."
Dr Henry Kong said DH had successfully conducted a survey to obtain data on the knowledge of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance and related enforcement among managers of 765 restaurants providing more than 200 seating accommodation.
Between November and December 2000, managers of 215 of these restaurants (or 28 percent) who had been selected at random, were visited and interviewed by staff of DH.
Dr Kong said "Seventy-eight percent of restaurant managers interviewed said the enactment of the Ordinance helped improve their business or did not affect their business."
"On enforcement of the Ordinance, 75 percent found it easy or were neutral."
"Thirty-nine percent knew the compulsory designation of no-smoking areas in restaurants with more than 200 seats, while 72 per cent knew that not less than one-third of the restaurant area had to be designated as no-smoking area."
"Only two percent of the managers knew that they may ask persons who did not comply with the no-smoking restriction, to produce proof of identity. Thirty-seven percent knew that they could call for police assistance if the smokers were uncooperative."
The DH survey also found that only 56 percent of the restaurants had sufficient designated no-smoking area.