WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1986
BAN STRICTLY A HEALTH MEASURE
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HONG KONG IS NOT ALONE IN ASIA IN TAKING ACTION TO STEM THE DANGERS OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO AS A PRODUCT WITH A GREAT POTENTIAL ATTRACTION FOR THE YOUNG, FOR WHOM IT MAY EASILY BE AN INTRODUCTION TO NICOTINE DEPENDENCE FOR LIFE AS WELL AS POSING A SERIOUS CANCER RISK.
THIS WAS STATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, IN WINDING UP THE DEBATE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1986.
THANKING THE HON CHIU HIN-KWONG AND THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN FOR THEIR REMARKS ON THE BILL, MR CHAMBERS SAID IT WAS STRICTLY A HEALTH MEASURE, WHICH HAD NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER WITH TRADE POLICY AS HAD BEEN SUGGESTED BY REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY ONE OF THE MAJOR PRODUCERS OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO.
HOWEVER, CONCERNING THE POINT MADE BY MR CHEONG-LEEN, HE SAID HE WOULD CERTAINLY CONTACT THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE U.S. TOBACCO COMPANY CONCERNED TO CLARIFY THE MATTER ABOUT THE VIEWS OF THE U.S. SURGEON-GENERAL.
MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT THE EFFECT OF THE BILL AND THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS WOULD BE A COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON LOCAL MANUFACTURE AND SALE AS WELL AS ON IMPORTATION.
+THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY PREVENT ANY LOCAL MANUFACTURER FROM STARTING PRODUCTION HERE FOR THIS OR ANY OTHER MARKET,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID HE WAS TOLD THAT AT A MAJOR WORLD MEDICAL CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE LAST WEEK SMOKELESS TOBACCO WAS RECOGNISED AS
AN SERIOUS HEALTH RISK WHICH WAS OF CONCERN TO A NUMBER OF ASIAN COUNTRIES.
+SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN WHICH, LIKE HONG KONG, IT IS NOT YET A GENERALLY ESTABLISHED HABIT, ARE NOW TAKING AN INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S ACTION, HE SAID.
+ I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SINGAPORE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH HAS STATED THAT HIS MINISTRY IS TAKING IMMEDIATE STEPS TO LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF A BAN UNDER THEIR HEALTH REGULATIONS ON SIMILAR LINES TO THE MEASURE BEFORE MEMBERS TODAY, HE ADDED.
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