XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 57

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 193

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ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES SUCCESSFUL

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OPINION POLLS LEND WEIGHT TO THE VIEW THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS,

THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LEE YU-TAI, MR CHAMBERS SAID THESE OPINION POLLS INDICATED THAT BETWEEN 1981 AND 1983 THE COMMUNITY HAD BECOME MORE AWARE OF THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SMOKING.

MR CHAMBERS SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY THE EFFECT ANTI-SMOKING PUBLICITY HAD HAD ON SMOKING HABITS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE DURING THIS PERIOD THE TAX ON TOBACCO PRODUCTS HAD BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED.

HOWEVER, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD PURSUED A MORE VIGOROUS ANTI-SMOKING PUBLICITY STRATEGY AND HAD ALSO, THROUGH THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, MONITORED TRENDS IN CIGARETTE SMOKING SINCE 1982, WHEN THE SMOKING (PUBLIC HEALTH) ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED.

+THE FINDINGS OF THESE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT BETWEEN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1982 AND MARCH 1983 THERE WAS A FALL OF 11 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF SMOKERS AND THAT A FURTHER FALL OF FIVE PER CENT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN MARCH 1983 AND JULY 1984, + MR CHAMBERS SAID.

ANOTHER SURVEY ON SMOKING PATTERNS WOULD BE CONDUCTED LATER THIS YEAR, HE ADDED.

MR CHAMBERS SAID THE GOVERNMENT ALSO MONITORED TOBACCO SMOKING TRENDS BY REFERENCE TO ANNUAL STATISTICS ON THE QUANTITY OF IMPORTED TOBACCO PRODUCTS ON WHICH DUTY WAS PAID.

+THESE STATISTICS SHOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT FALL IN THE IMPORT OF SUCH TOBACCO PRODUCTS SINCE 1982, + HE SAID.

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