XN000022-1991-03-07 — Page 6

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1991

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"SERVICES ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME AVAILABLE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND WILL GRADUALLY EXPAND TO COVER THE URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

"WITHIN THE AREAS COVERED, SUBSCRIBERS WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE TELEPHONE CALLS USING LIGHT-WEIGHT AND INEXPENSIVE HANDSETS, HE SAID.

CANNOT NORMALLY

IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT ALTHOUGH CT 2 HANDSETS RECEIVE CALLS WHEN USED OUTSIDE THE HOME OR PLACE OF WORK, THEY CAN LINK UP WITH RADIO PAGING SYSTEMS TO ALLOW USERS TO IF REQUIRED.

RECEIVE MESSAGES

HIGHER TOBACCO TAX HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE

THE GOVERNMENT

BELIEVES THAT THE INCREASE IN TOBACCO WILL GO SOME WAY TOWARDS DISCOURAGING YOUNG SMOKING AND MAKE FOR A BETTER, HEALTHIER HONG KONG.

THE DUTY ON PEOPLE FROM

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MISS EMMA LAU, IN

WELCOMING THE

MEASURE ANNOUNCED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY YESTERDAY.

"OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE BEEN TAKING MEASURES PROGRESSIVELY EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY THE YOUNG, ON THE HEALTH HAZARDS SMOKING AND MOTIVATING THEM NOT TO SMOKE.

TO

OF

"OUR EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN THE PROPORTION OF DAILY SMOKERS IN THE POPULATION FROM 23.3 PER CENT IN THE EARLY 1980S TO 16.8 PER CENT IN THE LATE 1980S, MISS LAU SAID.

"HOWEVER, THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT SMOKING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IS ON THE INCREASE, MAKING FURTHER DISINCENTIVES ALL THE MORE NECESSARY, SHE ADDED.

ACCORDING то PROVISIONAL FIGURES FROM THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY FOR JULY 1990, ABOUT 20,600 PEOPLE AGED BETWEEN 15 AND 19 YEARS, OR 4.6 PER CENT OF THOSE IN THIS AGE BRACKET, WERE SMOKERS. THIS COMPARED WITH 15,700 PEOPLE OR 3.4 PER CENT IN 1988.

MISS LAU POINTED OUT THAT LUNG CANCER AND HEART DISEASE WERE TOP KILLERS IN HONG KONG AND THAT THERE WAS STRONG EVIDENCE THE WORLD OVER THAT SMOKING WAS A CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR FOR SUCH AILMENTS.

"EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT A TAX INCREASE CAN BE POWERFUL IN DETERRING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM SMOKING, SHE SAID.

WHEN THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED A 300 PER CENT INCREASE IN CIGARETTE TAXES IN 1983, THE 1984 GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY SHOWED THAT 19.7 PER CENT OF SMOKERS GAVE UP SMOKING BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER SHE NOTED.

COST,

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