XN000022-1988-12-23 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1988

ABOUT AN ABSOLUTE

WHICH SMOKERS,

REACHED A

NEVERTHELESS, THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED INCREASE OF ABOUT 10,500 IN THE NUMBER OF TOTAL of 723,900.

"THERE SHOULD BE NO RELAXATION COMMUNITY OF THE NEED TO STOP SMOKING,

COMM

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IN OUR EFFORTS TO

HE STRESSED.

WARN

THE

WOULD REVIEW THE EXISTING THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT

MOMENTUM POLICY ON SMOKING AND MAP OUT NEW STRATEGIES TO INCREASE THE OF THE ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN.

"A CONSULTATION

ON EXERCISE BASED

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

HEALTH IS SCHEDULED

PUT

FORWARD BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND TO COMMENCE EARLY NEXT YEAR, HE SAID.

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WAS

AND STATISTICS

THE SURVEY ON SMOKING HABITS, COVERING SOME 14,000 PEOPLE, THE FIFTH OF ITS KIND CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS DEPARTMENT AS PART OF THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY IN JULY THIS YEAR.

SPOKESMAN TURNING TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SURVEY FINDINGS, THE

NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS PLEASED THAT BOTH THE OF YOUNG SMOKERS (AGED 15 TO 19) HAD DECLINED.

DOWN FROM 17,300 IN PERCENTAGE ALSO DECREASED FROM

THE NUMBER OF THIS GROUP OF SMOKERS WAS 1986 TO 15,700 THIS YEAR, WHILE THE FOUR PER CENT TO 3.4 PER CENT.

INCREASE

HOWEVER, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT A SIGNIFICANT IN THE NUMBER OF YOUNG FEMALE SMOKERS WARRANTED SPECIAL ATTENTION.

SMOKERS WAS ONLY 900 AND THE HAD RISEN TO

IN 1982, THE NUMBER OF THESE PERCENTAGE 0.4 PER CENT, BUT THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES 3,000 AND 1.3 PER CENT THIS YEAR.

"TEENAGERS, ESPECIALLY FEMALE

MAJOR TARGET FOR THE ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN,

MEANWHILE, ALL

FIVE

YOUNG SMOKERS, MUST REMAIN A

**

HE SAID.

1982

SINCE SURVEYS

TENDENCY TO SMOKE GENERALLY INCREASED WITH AGE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT.

AMONG MALES, THERE WAS

AN

ABRUPT

THAT THE REVEALED FOR BOTH SEXES, THE

INCREASE

IN

THE

RATE

DAILY SMOKING AFTER THEIR TEENS FROM 5.5 PER CENT OF THOSE AGED 15 19 TO 22.4 PER CENT OF THOSE AGED 20 TO 29.

THE RATE GRADUALLY ROSE TO A PEAK OF 41.7 PER CENT

CENT IN THE TO 59 AGE GROUP AND THEN DROPPED TO 35.2 PER PEOPLE AGED 60 AND ABOVE.

OF

ΤΟ

IN THE 50 GROUP OF

1.3 PRR TO 3.8 AGE

FOR FEMALES, THE RATE OF DAILY SMOKING RANGED BETWEEN CENT AND TWO PER CENT AMONG THOSE AGED BELOW 50. IT INCREASED

PER CENT IN THE PER CENT IN THE 50 TO 59 AGE GROUP AND TO 7.3

GROUP 60 AND ABOVE.

/THE SURVEY