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The COSH launched a territory-wide publicity drive called 'Smoke-Free Hong Kong' which included broadcasts on TV and radio and it also operates a website, www.smokefree.hk, and a telephone hotline to receive enquiries and suggestions from the public on smoking and health.
Smoking Cessation
The DH provides advice on how to quit smoking, counselling services and pharmaceutical treatment through various channels, including a hotline, clinics and an interactive online cessation centre.
It also broadcasts announcements on TV and radio, conducts seminars and issues health education materials to increase public awareness of the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke, and solicits public support for a smoke-free environment and the anti-smoking law. In 2011, the TCO organised 35 seminars on smoking cessation. Some 940 people attended the seminars.
The DH also strives to enrol the support of local organisations in promoting smoking cessation services through their established networks in order to enhance the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of those services. In 2009, the DH, in collaboration with the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHS), launched a pilot. community-based smoking cessation programme covering clinical cessation services, training for smoking cessation personnel, and relevant clinical researches as well as publicity. Since April 2010, the DH has collaborated with Pok Oi Hospital in the provision of a smoking cessation pilot programme using traditional Chinese medicine.
In 2010, the DH also launched a pilot outreach programme on smoking prevention and cessation for new immigrants and ethnic minorities through the United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service.
In 2011, the DH provided funding to the University of Hong Kong for the launch of the Youth Quitline as well as to the Po Leung Kuk and the Life Education Activity Programme for organising activities in schools to prevent the uptake of smoking by children and young people.
To assist and encourage smokers to quit smoking, the DH launched the Quit Smoking App to provide information on smoking cessation, and to offer appropriate quitting advice, keep track of the smokers' quitting progress and issue regular reminders according to the smoking habits of the smokers.
The HA also provides smoking counselling and cessation services through its six full-time and 36 part-time 'Smoking Counselling and Cessation Centres'. It operates a telephone hotline providing booking and enquiry services for smokers who wish to quit smoking, and provides Chinese medicine practitioner trainees in the Chinese. Medicine Centres for Training and Research with courses in counselling on quitting smoking organised by the School of Nursing of the University of Hong Kong to help develop smoking cessation methods with the aid of Chinese medicine.