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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1986
MASS RALLY LAUNCHES ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN
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THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO GIVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF TOBACCO AND TO PREVENT YOUNG PEOPLE FROM STARTING SMOKING - PUBLIC EDUCATION AND A TOTAL BAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENTS.
THIS OPINION WAS EXPRESSED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR DR CHIU HIN-KWONG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF AN ANTI-SMOKING MASS RALLY HELD AT KOWLOON PARK TODAY (SUNDAY).
THE MASS RALLY MARKED THE OPENING OF THIS YEAR'S ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN AND WAS THE SECOND LARGE-SCALE RALLY ORGANISED SINCE THE START OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-SMOKING POLICY IN THE 1980'S.
NOTING THAT THE BUDGET FOR THE ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN WAS VERY +SLIM+ AS COMPARED WITH THE TOBACCO INDUSTRIES ADVERTISING BUDGET, DR CHIU SAID, +FOR THIS REASON, MANY PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, INCLUDING MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, STRONGLY SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TOTAL BAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENTS PUT FORTH BY THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD.+
+FOR YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PLANNING AND ORGANISING VARIOUS PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES AND ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HEALTH WARNING ON CIGARETTE PACKETS AND THE SETTING UP OF NON-SMOKING AREAS IN PUBLIC PLACES, BUSES AND FERRIES TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH. THESE ARE WORTH OUR SUPPORT, HE SAID.
DR CHIU SAID HE HOPED THE RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WOULD CLOSELY MONITOR AND ENFORCE THE ANTI-SMOKING LAWS, BUT HE SAID THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A GREATER COMMUNITY EFFORT.
HE FELT THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ON ANTI-SMOK | NG WOULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE IF THE GOVERNMENT WAS LEFT TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY SINGLE-HANDEDLY.
+OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES, TEACHERS AND PARENTS ALSO HAVE THEIR ROLES TO PLAY IN THIS AREA. GIVING A GOOD EXAMPLE TO YOUNGSTERS IS OF SIGNIFICANCE, HE ADDED.
STATING THAT SMOKING AND PASSIVE SMOKING CONTRIBUTED TO LUNG CANCER, CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, EMPHYSEMA AND HEART DISEASE, DR CHIU STRESSED THAT +PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE+,
+THEREFORE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO AVOID THESE DISEASES IS TO STOP SMOKING, HE SAID.
EARLIER, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS, POINTED OUT IN AN INTRODUCTORY SPEECH THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALLOCATED A SUM OF $350 000 FOR THIS YEAR'S ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN FOR ORGANISING VARIOUS ANTI-SMOKING PUBLICITY ACTIVITIES.
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