XN000022-1986-01-18 — Page 5

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1986

ADDRESSING THE CONFERENCE ON +STRATEGIES ON SMOKING CONTROL+, MR CHAMBERS SAID THESE WERE THE PRINCIPLES WHICH INFLUENCED DECISIONS ON MEASURES TAKEN IN THE PAST.

+TOBACCO SMOKING IS NOT AN EASY SUBJECT FOR A BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT TO HANDLE,+ HE SAID.

→BECAUSE SMOKING IS A PERSONAL HABIT, ATTITUDES TO IT VARY CONS IDERABLY.

+AN ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN, UNLIKE THE ANTI-NARCOTICS OR THE ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN, IS NECESSARILY CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH ITS AIMS.+

ALL ASPECTS OF THE ANTI-SMOK ING LEGISLATION, INCLUDING RESTRICTIONS ON TOBACCO ADVERTISING OTHER THAN THROUGH THE BROADCASTING MEDIA, HAD BEEN EXAMINED BY A WORKING GROUP LAST YEAR, HE SAID.

MR CHAMBERS POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER THE CASE FOR AMENDING SUCH LEGISLATION ONCE THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF TOBACCO ADVERTISING ON TELEVISION AND RADIO HAD BEEN RESOLVED.

+MUCH OF THE PRESENT DEBATE ABOUT NEW MEASURES TO CONTROL THE PROMOTION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS CENTRES ON THE RECENT RECOMMENDATION BY THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD, WHICH HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THE WHOLE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION AND RADIO SERVICES IN HONG KONG, FOR A COMPLETE PROHIBITION OF TOBACCO ADVERTISING ON TELEVISION AND RADIO.

+THE VIEWS OF ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AND OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE HAVE BEEN SOUGHT AND ARE NOW BEING STUDIED, + MR CHAMBERS SAID. THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION ON THIS RECOMMENDATION, HE ADDED, WOULD HAVE AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE ON THE DIRECTION OF POLICY IN THIS AREA.

HE SAID THAT, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD, MEANWHILE, ALSO CONTINUE ITS OWN EFFORTS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING, AND $350 000 WOULD BE ALLOCATED THIS YEAR TO A MAJOR ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN.

+WE CANNOT OF COURSE HOPE TO COMPETE WITH THE ESTIMATED $120 MILLION SPENT BY THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY ON THE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION OF ITS OWN PRODUCTS IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

MUCH HAD BEEN ACHIEVED IN RECENT YEARS AND THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT CLAIM THAT IT HAD FULFILLED ITS BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF INFORMING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT SMOKING WAS HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH AND ENSURING THAT NON-SMOKERS ENJOYED A MEASURE OF PROTECTION IN MOST PUBLIC PLACES.

+THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP UNDER REVIEW THE CASE FOR NEW ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES, HE SAID.

/WARNING THAT