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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11,
1991
AT PRESENT, THE LAW REQUIRES SIGNS TO BE DISPLAYED IN NO SMOKING AREAS TO INDICATE THAT SMOKING IS PROHIBITED. IT IS PROPOSED IN THE BILL THAT THESE SIGNS SHOULD ALSO CONTAIN A STATEMENT OF THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR SMOKING IN A NO-SMOKING AREA.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE PROPOSED MEASURES AIMED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC FURTHER ABOUT THE HEALTH RISKS OF SMOKING.
"IT IS PROPOSED, THEREFORE, THAT THE EXISTING SINGLE
GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING BE REPLACED BY STRONGER MESSAGES AND THAT THESE SHOULD BE USED IN ROTATION.
AND MORE PRECISE
"FURTHERMORE, IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE HEALTH WARNING AND TÅR GROUP DESIGNATION SHOULD APPEAR ON THE TWO LARGEST SURFACES OF CIGARETTE PACKETS AND CARTONS. SIMILARLY, IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE HEALTH WARNING PANEL ON CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENTS SHOULD BE ENLARGED TO 20 PER CENT OF THE SURFACE AND THAT THE WARNING MESSAGE, AND TAR GROUP DESIGNATION WHERE REQUIRED, SHOULD OCCUPY AT LEAST 40 PER CENT OF THE AREA OF THE WARNING PANEL." HE SAID.
THE BILL WOULD ALSO REQUIRE HEALTH WARNINGS ON OUTDOOR CIGARETTE ADVERTISING SIGNS то BE CLEARLY VISIBLE AND LEGIBLE, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTION AND WITH PROPER LIGHTING WHERE APPROPRIATE.
THERE IS NO LIMIT AT PRESENT ON THE TAR CONTENT OF CIGARETTES IN HONG KONG.
"IN KEEPING WITH THE WORLD TREND TO RESTRICT THE TAR CONTENT, THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO IMPOSE A MAXIMUM TAR CONTENT OF 20 MILLIGRAMS PER CIGARETTE," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES THAT THE PROMOTION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS SHOULD BE RESTRICTED FURTHER BY THE INTRODUCTION OF A TOTAL BAN ON CIGARETTE ADVERTISING IN CINEMAS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID "CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENT" WOULD BE MORB PRECISELY DEFINED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THOSE WHICH PROMOTED SMOKING AND THOSE WHICH ADVERTISED SPONSORSHIP BY COMPANIES WHOSE LINE OF BUSINESS INCLUDED TOBACCO PRODUCTS, IN WHICH THE MERE MENTION OF THE NAME OF THE COMPANY HAS NO DIRECT EFFECT OF PROMOTING SMOKING.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE FIRST CATEGORY SHOULD CARRY HEALTH WARNINGS WHILE EXEMPTIONS WOULD APPLY TO THOSŔ IN THE SECOND CATEGORY PROVIDED THAT THE NAME OF THE COMPANY DOES NOT CONTAIN THE WORD "TOBACCO" OR "CIGARETTE" OR "SMOKING".
EXISTING PENALTIES HAVE
NOT BEEN REVISED
1980'S,
SINCE THE EARLY
/IT IS
: