FRIDAY, DECAMBER 13, 1985
THE NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM LUNG CANCER HAD INCREASED FROM
1 073 IN 1974 TO 2 002 IN 1983, HE ADDED.
DR THONG, SPEAKING IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE SOCIETY'S PRESIDENT, POINTED OUT THAT CIGARETTE SMOK ING WAS THE MAJOR RISK FACTOR FOR CONTRACTING CANCER AND THERE WAS A NEED TO STRONGLY DISCOURAGE THE HABIT.
THE GOVERNMENT HAD CONTRIBUTED ACTIVELY IN ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGNS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PUBLICITY MEASURES, HE SAID.
THE SMOKING (PUBLIC HEALTH) ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED IN JULY 1982 TO PROHIBIT SMOKING IN CONFINED PUBLIC PLACES. IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, THREE MORE AMENDMENTS MADE IT MANDATORY FOR HEALTH WARNINGS AND TAR GROUP RATINGS TO BE CARRIED ON ALL CIGARETTE PACKETS AND ALL FORMS OF TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENTS.
IN ADDITION, A MAJOR EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN WAS LAUNCHED IN 1983 TO BRING HOME THE MESSAGE THAT SMOKING WAS HARMFUL TO HEALTH.
AS A RESULT OF THESE ANTI-SMOKING EFFORTS, THE OVERALL SMOKING RATE HAD DECREASED FROM 23.3 PER CENT IN 1982 TO 18.7 PER CENT IN 1984, ACCORDING TO A GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
+THIS IS MOST ENCOURAGING BUT THERE IS STILL NO PLACE FOR COMPLACENCY. THE SITUATION SHOULD BE MONITORED CLOSELY WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING FURTHER THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS, HE SAID.
DR THONG DISCLOSED THAT A CONFERENCE FOR COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THE STRATEGIES OF SMOKING CONTROL WOULD BE HELD JOINTLY BY THE HONG KONG ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY AND THE INTERNATIONAL UNION AGAINST CANCER NEXT MONTH.
DR THONG ALSO PRAISED THE SOCIETY FOR ITS EFFORTS IN COMBATING THE DISEASE.
THE SOCIETY, WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HAS HELD TERRITORY-WIDE EXHIBITIONS ON THE DANGERS OF CANCER AND WAYS OF PREVENTING IT.
IN ADDITION, A SEMINAR ON CANCER FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS WAS ORGANISED BY THE SOCIETY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH, THE SOCIETY WAS ALSO ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN SPONSORING AND CO-ORDINATING STUDIES ON THE ROLE OF PASSIVE SMOKING IN THE AETIOLOGY OF LUNG CANCER IN CHINESE WOMEN.