THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1988
"I HOPE THEY RECOGNISE THE SAD REALITY: SMOKING IS NOT AN ORDINARY HABIT, IT IS AN ADDICTION. CIGARETTES QUICKLY BECOME A HABIT THAT CAN BE EXTREMELY PAINFUL TO GIVE UP,
" HE SAID.
"WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO AN ADDICTION AS POWERFUL AS CIGARETTES, INDIVIDUAL WILLPOWER MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.
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TO GIVE UP SMOKING, MR CHAU SAID SMOKERS NEEDED CONSTANT SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND FROM SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.
"THEY MAY EVEN NEED TO MAKE USE OF THE SPECIAL GROUPS AND CLINICS SET UP TO HELP BREAK FREE FROM THE CIGARETTE HABIT, HE SAID.
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"CERTAINLY THEY NEED PROTECTION FROM SKILFUL REMINDERS OF THE PLEASURES OF SMOKING, WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD RESTRICT CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENTS MORE AND MORE.
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MR CHAU SAID THAT IN HONG KONG, ABOUT 55 PER CENT OF ALL DAILY SMOKERS AGED 15 AND ABOVE, STARTED SMOKING BEFORE THE AGE OF 20. THE REASON COULD BE THAT THE DANGERS OF SMOKING SEEMED TOO FAR-OFF FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
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"IF ALL OUR TEENAGERS TOOK A REALISTIC, A SCIENTIFIC VIEW OF LIFE, SMOKING AND THE DEATH AND DISEASES THAT GO WITH IT - WOULD DISAPPEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY WITHIN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME," HE SAID.
"THE COMMUNITY HAS AN OBLIGATION TO TELL YOUNG PEOPLE THE TRUTH. WE MUST PREACH THE MESSAGE THAT IT IS NOT SMART TO SMOKE AND THAT IT IS EVEN LESS SMART TO START SMOKING.
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"WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT CIGARETTES ARE NO LONGER ASSOCIATED THE MINDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A LIFESTYLE WHICH TS AFFLUENT, SOPHISTICATED OR SUCCESSFUL, AND CERTAINLY NOT WITH ANY HEALTHY RECREATIONAL OR ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES.