XN000022-1983-11-05 — Page 2

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1983

SUPPORT NEEDED TO PRODUCE NON-SMOKING GENERATION

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PARENTS, TEACHERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE WERE TODAY (SATURDAY) URGED TO PLAY THEIR PART IN PRODUCING A NON-SMOKING GENERATION IN HONG KONG - A GENERATION TO WHOM THE CONCEPT OF SMOKING IS DISTASTEFUL AND UNTHINKABLE.

THE APPEAL CAME FROM THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MR GEOFFREY BARNES, WHEN HE WAS ADDRESSING MORE THAN 2 000 YOUNG ATHLETES AND STUDENTS AT THE PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY OF THE 1983 INTER-SCHOOL OLYMPIAD GRAND FINAL HELD AT THE WAN CHAI SPORTS GROUND.

THE TERRITORY-WIDE ATHLETIC MEET IS ORGANISED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-SMOKING PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CURRENT PUBLICITY PHASE AIMED AT DISSUADING YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE AT SCHOOL, FROM SMOK ING.

MR BARNES SAID, THE CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO FAR: VIRTUALLY EVERYONE IS NOW AWARE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-SMOKING PUBLICITY, AND FAR FEWER PEOPLE SMOKE NOW THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR. +

+BUT PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE NOT TO START SMOKING IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE MUST AIM TO PRODUCE A NON-SMOK ING GENERATION HERE IN HONG KONG,+ HE STRESSED.

MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT THIS COULD NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGNS OR PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ALONE.

+ THEREFORE CALL ON PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO RECOGNISE THIS AIM AND TO DO ALL IN THEIR POWER BY ADVICE AND, MOST OF ALL BY EXAMPLE, TO HELP THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO ATTAIN IT,+ MR BARNES SAID.

+AND I CALL ON THE YOUNGER GENERATION THEMSELVES TO PLAY THE IR PART BY BECOMING REPRESENTATIVES OF GOOD HEALTH AND COMMON SENSE AND SPREADING THE MESSAGE WHEREVER THEY GO.+

ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION WERE THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR JOHN WINFIELD.

TODAY'S FUNCTION WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 100 GUESTS FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, SCHOOL SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS AND PARTICIPATING SECONDARY SCHOOLS. AS WELL AS EIGHT TEAMS OF CELEBRITIES FROM TELEVISION BROADCASTS LIMITED, RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG, HONG KONG COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING COMPANY LIMITED, CAPITAL ARTISTS LIMITED, HONG KONG OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSONS ASSOCIATION AND THE COMPOSERS AND AUTHORS SOCIETY OF HONG KONG LIMITED.

THE CELEBRITIES EARLIER TOOK PART IN A 400-METRE INVITATION RELAY AND A 100-METRE INVITATION RACE WHICH WERE ORGANISED AS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY'S PROGRAMME.

/ELABORATING ON