XN000022-1981-11-24 — Page 5

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1981-

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NEW ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES

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THE GOVERNMENT WILL INTENSIFY ITS EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF SMOKING AND THEREFORE ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS ON PUBLIC HEALTH WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A PACKAGE OF ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES.

THE FOUR MAIN AREAS OF THE NEW INITIATIVE ARE :

* ESTABLISHING, AND ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT

OF, NON-SMOKING AREAS=

* PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION=

*

HEALTH WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS OF TAR AND NICOTINE CONTENT-

* CONTROLS ON ADVERTISING.

IN RECENT YEARS THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONDUCTED A RELATIVELY LOW-KEY ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN, MAINLY THROUGH EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY.

ACCORDING TO THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES. MR GEOFFREY BARNES, SEVERAL FACTORS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TODAY TO STEP UP ITS EFFORTS AGAINST SMOK ING.

IN HONG KONG SOME 1 800 PEOPLE DIED FROM LUNG CANCER IN 1980. THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 58 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS IN THE PAST TEN YEARS.

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ACCEPTS THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION CALCULATION THAT IN COUNTRIES WHERE SMOK ING IS WIDESPREAD, IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 90 PER CENT OF LUNG CANCER DEATHS.

+THERE IS ALSO GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE RISKS OF PASSIVE SMOK ING, THAT IS NON-SMOKERS BREATHING AIR CONTAINING SMOKE PRODUCED BY SMOKERS IN THE IR CLOSE PROXIMITY, + MR BARNES SAID.

MR BARNES SAID WHILE PUBLIC HEALTH WAS THE MAIN ISSUE. IT WAS NOTED THAT BETWEEN 1976 AND 1980, MORE THAN 19 000 FIRÉ ACCIDENTS WERE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY CARELESS SMOKING, REPRESENTING 33 PER CENT OF ALL FIRE ACCIDENTS. THESE RESULTED IN SEVEN DEATHS AND 422 INJURIES.

+ IN A RECENT PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE HOME AFFAIRS BRANCH THERE WAS GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE MEASURES NOW PROPOSED, MR BARNES DISCLOSED.

AT THE MOMENT, SMOKING IS WHOLLY PROHIBITED IN SOME FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT WHILE THERE ARE NO-SMOK ING AREAS IN OTHERS. RESTRICTIONS ALSO APPLY IN SCH PUBLIC BUILDINGS SUCH AS THE CITY HALL AND OTHER CULTURAL FACILITIES MANAGED BY THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

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