Health
Smoking and Health
China is a state party to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health. Organisation (WHO), making provisions of the convention applicable to Hong Kong. The city's tobacco control policy aims to discourage smoking, contain the proliferation of tobacco use and minimise the impact from passive smoking through a progressive and multi-pronged approach, comprising legislation, publicity, education, enforcement, smoking cessation and taxation.
The Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance stipulates statutory no-smoking areas, regulates the packaging and labelling of tobacco products, and prohibits all advertisements and promotions for such products. Smoking is banned in all indoor areas of workplaces and public places, including restaurants and bars, as well as some outdoor areas, including the open areas of schools, leisure grounds, bathing beaches and public transport facilities. The government extended the smoking ban to the eight bus interchanges at tunnel portal areas in March. Offenders are liable to a fine of $1,500 under the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) Ordinance.
In 2016, the department's Tobacco Control Office conducted 30,395 inspections and issued 207 summonses and 8,650 fixed penalty notices for smoking offences. It distributes guidelines, posters, no-smoking signs and pamphlets to venue managers of statutory no-smoking areas. and to the public.
The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, an independent statutory body, advises the government on smoking, passive smoking and health, and on publicising the hazards of smoking. The council conducts publicity, education and community involvement campaigns, which attracted 242,000 participants in 2016. It also operates a website and a hotline to receive enquiries and suggestions from the public on smoking and health.
The Tobacco Control Office provides advice on how to quit smoking, counselling services and pharmaceutical treatment through a smoking cessation hotline (1833 183), clinics and an interactive online cessation centre. In 2016, the hotline handled more than 7,700 phone calls. The office also broadcasts announcements on television and radio, conducts seminars and issues materials to increase public awareness of the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand cigarette smoke. It collaborates with NGOs to run community-based smoking cessation programmes, including the use of Chinese medicine acupuncture, peer-led phone counselling, smoking cessation services at the workplace, programmes for ethnic minorities and new immigrants, and school activities to promote a smoke-free culture.
The Hospital Authority provides counselling and cessation services through its 15 full-time and 52 part-time Smoking Counselling and Cessation Centres. It also operates a hotline providing booking and enquiry services for people who wish to quit smoking.
Disease Prevention and Control
The department spent $3.1 billion on disease prevention and control at its maternal and child health centres, elderly health centres and similar facilities in 2015-16.
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