FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1986
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LEGISLATION TO BAN SMOKELESS TOBACCO PROPOSED
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A BILL AIMED AT BANNING SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN HONG KONG WILL BE GAZETTED NEXT WEEK.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THE BAN WOULD RELATE TO +MOIST TOBACCO+ WHICH IS CHEWED OR SUCKED.
THE BAN WOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY FORM OF SMOKING TOBACCO SUCH AS CIGARETTES, CIGARS OR PIPE TOBACCO, OR OTHER TYPES OF TRADITIONAL TOBACCO PRODUCTS, SUCH AS SNUFF.
HE SAID THAT THE ACTION WAS TAKEN PROMPTLY TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF A RELATIVELY NEW TOBACCO PRODUCT IN THE TERRITORY.
HE WAS REFERRING TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN JULY THIS YEAR THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD PREPARE LEGISLATION BANNING THE IMPORTATION, MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF ORALLY-TAKEN SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
+THE BILL IS NOW READY, IT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE ON OCTOBER 17 AND WILL BE INTRODUCTED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 29,+ HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ORALLY-TAKEN SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCTS HAD BEEN MARKETED IN RECENT YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES, FINDING CONSIDERABLE APPEAL AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
HOWEVER. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES OVERSEAS HAD DEMONSTRATED A STRONG ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TAKING SMOKELESS TOBACCO AND THE INCIDENCE OF ORAL CANCER.
THE CANCER USUALLY DEVELOPS AT THE SITE MOST OFTEN IN CONTACT WITH THE TOBACCO AND CAN DEVELOP WITHIN FIVE YEARS, MUCH SOONER THAN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LUNG CANCER FROM CIGARETTE SMOKING.
HE ADDED THAT THE UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL'S +ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF USING SMOKELESS TOBACCO+ HAD, AFTER CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL DATA, HAD REACHED CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS.
THESE WERE THAT THE ORAL USE OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISK- THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFE SUBSTITUTE FOR SMOKING CIGARETTES- AND THAT IT COULD CAUSE CANCER AND A NUMBER OF ORAL DISEASES AND COULD ALSO LEAD TO NICOTINE ADDICTION AND DEPENDENCE.
IN RECENT CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION CONFIRMED THAT SMOKELESS TOBACCO LED TO CANCER OF THE MOUTH AND UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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