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FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1964

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THE INDEX FOR DURABLE GOODS INCREASED BY ONE POINT IN CPI(B) DUE TO HIGHER PRICES OF FURNITURE AND TRAVEL AND SPORTS GOODS.

THE INDEX FOR MISCELLANEOUS GOODS INCREASED BY TWO POINTS IN BOTH CPI(A) AND CPI(B) FOLLOWING HIGHER PRICES OF MEDICINES AND JEWELLERY.

THE INDEX FOR SERVICES INCREASED BY ONE POINT IN BOTH CPI(A) AND CPI(B) DUE TO HIGHER CHARGES FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AND HOUSEHOLD SERVICES, AS WELL AS HIGHER CHARGES FOR PACKAGE TOURS AND FOR ADMISSION TO NIGHT CLUBS AND DISCOTHEQUES AROUND CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR.

PRICE MOVEMENTS IN OTHER SECTIONS WERE INSIGNIFICANT. (FIGURES PRESENTED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REFER TO CPI SERIES NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED).

DETAILS OF THESE PRICE MOVEMENTS ARE GIVEN IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX REPORT+ FOR DECEMBER 1983. BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE VERSIONS OF THIS REPORT ARE AVAILABLE AT $3 PER COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, GROUND FLOOR, CONNAUGHT PLACE, HONG KONG, OR FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES. INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, HONG KONG FOR LOCAL AND OVERSEAS MAILINGS.

FOR ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES, PLEASE CONTACT THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AT TELEPHONE NO. 3-7216512.

DEADLY EFFECTS OF SMOKING STRESSED

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EARLY DEATH CAN BE PREVENTED BY GIVING UP SMOKING, PROFESSOR J.W.L. KLEEVENS, READER OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE YUEN LONG ANTI-SMOKING EXHIBITION, HE SAID A SMOKER DID NOT ALLOW HIMSELF THE CHANCE OF LIVING HIS FULL LIFE SPAN.

THE TWO-DAY EXHIBITION AT THE YUEN LONG TOWN HALL IS SPONSORED BY THE LOCAL DISTRICT BOARD.

+THE EVIDENCE OF BAD EFFECTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING HAS ACCUMULATED SINCE THE 1950'S AND WE KNOW NOW THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AS MANY AS 90 PER CENT OF ALL LUNG CANCER DEATHS, 75 PER CENT OF BRONCHITIS DEATHS AND 25 PER CENT OF ISCHAEMIC HEART DEATHS.

+CIGARETTE SMOKING IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOST CASES OF CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, HE ADDED.

/OF THE

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