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in the Urban Services Department for the specific purpose of tackling the problem it is highly desirable that a separate Select Committee should be formed to deal with matters relating to the problem from time to time.
Health habits, like other habits, are formed in the early years of our life, whether they are good or otherwise. Once formed it will be most difficult to get rid of them in spite of Herculean efforts repeated time and again. Those of us who are smokers will realize how hard it is to free ourselves of this petty vice (if indeed vice it is). Nothing can be more amusing than watching smokers pop sweets into their mouths as a substitute for cigarettes, but almost invariably the battle for freedom from the tyrant Nicotine ends in little more than a farce.
Mr. Chairman, I am not trying to be witty, but I should like to make this clear—that for health education to serve its real purpose, school children should be the main object of our attention, although instructions for adults in rules of health should not be neglected. In this connexion I suggest that the co-operation of the Education Department should be sought so that a course of instruction suitable for children may be devised.
As Dr. Woo has said, the results of health education cannot be achieved or seen in a short time. Therefore it is important that we should have a long-term policy in the drawing up of its programmes. The main function of this Select Committee will be to transmit Council's policy to the officer responsible for this particular field of work.
With these brief remarks, Sir, I have pleasure to second the motion before the Council this afternoon.
DR. TENG :-With your permission, sir, I would state that the official view is to support the motion. I mentioned earlier this afternoon that approval had been obtained for the appointment this year of a Senior Health Inspector for Health Education, and when this appointment was recommended, it was envisaged that this officer's work should be planned and directed by a select committee of this Council. The field of operations is a wide one. I have already referred today to the need for educative measures to improve the standard of hygiene in food premises. While over-crowding persists, much good can also be done by more persistent efforts to inculcate higher standards of personal and domestic hygiene. And, of course, there are other targets besides food and domestic hygiene.
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Health Education must be something more than the mere dissemination of information or propaganda. It should aim at changing the conduct or thinking of the individual by feeding him with accurate and attractive information so that he becomes inclined to change his own personal health attitudes and habits, to the improvement of his own personal health and that of the community.
As I said, there is need for more than one mind to work on this task, to ensure that the programmes are well considered and planned, and materials suitable and the objectives attainable. I therefore support the motion that a select committee be appointed.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
CHAIRMAN:-I now rise to move under Standing Order 7(e) the appointment of a Select Committee with terms of reference as proposed in the Motion and composed of the following members:
Dr. P. F. Woo, (Chairman),
Dr. R. H. S. Lee,
Mr. K. A. Watson, and
The Senior Health Officer.
DR. TENG seconded.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS.
CHAIRMAN :-Under the item Other Business I have recently been informed that Government proposes that the three storeyed car park which is to be built on the Central Reclamation should be managed by this Council through the Urban Services Department. I propose with Council's agreement to set up a Select Committee for this purpose, the composition of which will be the subject of a Motion at the next meeting.
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becomesPage 34 of 115
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in the Urban Services Department for the specific purpose of tackling the problem it is highly desirable that a separate Select Committee should be formed to deal with matters relating to the problem from time to time.
Health habits, like other habits, are formed in the early years of our life, whether they are good or otherwise. Once formed it will be most difficult to get rid of them in spite of Herculean efforts repeated time and again. Those of us who are smokers will realize how hard it is to free ourselves of this petty vice (if indeed vice it is). Nothing can be more amusing than watching smokers pop sweets into their mouths as a substitute for cigarettes, but almost invariably the battle for freedom from the tyrant Nicotine ends in little more than a farce.
Mr. Chairman, I am not trying to be witty, but I should like to make this clear—that for health education to serve its real purpose, school children should be the main object of our attention, although instructions for adults in rules of health should not be neglected. In this connexion I suggest that the co-operation of the Education Department should be sought so that a course of instruction suitable for children may be devised.
As Dr. Woo has said, the results of health education cannot be achieved or seen in a short time. Therefore it is important that we should have a long-term policy in the drawing up of its programmes. The main function of this Select Committee will be to transmit Council's policy to the officer responsible for this particular field of work.
With these brief remarks, Sir, I have pleasure to second the motion before the Council this afternoon.
DR. TENG :-With your permission, sir, I would state that the official view is to support the motion. I mentioned earlier this afternoon that approval had been obtained for the appointment this year of a Senior Health Inspector for Health Education, and when this appointment was recommended, it was envisaged that this officer's work should be planned and directed by a select committee of this Council. The field of operations is a wide one. I have already referred today to the need for educative measures to improve the standard of hygiene in food premises. While over-crowding persists, much good can also be done by more persistent efforts to inculcate higher standards of personal and domestic hygiene. And, of course, there are other targets besides food and domestic hygiene.
53
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Health Education must be something more than the mere dissemination of information or propaganda. It should aim at changing the conduct or thinking of the individual by feeding him with accurate and attractive information so that he becomes inclined to change his own personal health attitudes and habits, to the improvement of his own personal health and that of the community.
As I said, there is need for more than one mind to work on this task, to ensure that the programmes are well considered and planned, and materials suitable and the objectives attainable. I therefore support the motion that a select committee be appointed.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
CHAIRMAN:-I now rise to move under Standing Order 7(e) the appointment of a Select Committee with terms of reference as proposed in the Motion and composed of the following members:
Dr. P. F. Woo, (Chairman),
Dr. R. H. S. Lee,
Mr. K. A. Watson, and
The Senior Health Officer.
DR. TENG seconded.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS.
CHAIRMAN :-Under the item Other Business I have recently been informed that Government proposes that the three storeyed car park which is to be built on the Central Reclamation should be managed by this Council through the Urban Services Department. I propose with Council's agreement to set up a Select Committee for this purpose, the composition of which will be the subject of a Motion at the next meeting.
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