XN000022-1996-12-04 — Page 48

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Reply:

(a)

(b)

(c)

it has conducted any research to find out the causes of the rising rate of young smokers;

it has taken into account the rising rate of young smokers in planning anti-smoking campaigns; if not, how it plans to counter this trend in its campaign strategy; and

the Health and Welfare Branch will consider launching a large scale anti-smoking campaign with emphasis being placed on educating young people about the adverse effects of smoking?

To set the record straight. the Census and Statistics Department survey, conducted in January 1996, showed that 5.9% of males aged 15-19 are daily smokers. They constitute 2.1% of the total daily smoking male population. These compare with figures of 7.5% and 2.4% respectively for surveys conducted in 1993. In other words, the proportion of males aged 15-19 who smoke daily has declined in terms of rate in that age group (from 7.5% in 1993 to 5.9% in 1996), in percentage out of the total daily smoking male population (from 2.4% in 1993 to 2.1% in 1996) and in absolute numbers (from 14,800 to 14,100 in 1993 and 1996) respectively.

The rate of young female smokers has indeed increased from 0.9% to 1.3% of the 15-19 age group between 1993 and 1996.

A table showing daily smokers by age and sex for 1993 and 1996 is at Annex A. A table showing the longer-term trend for the 15-19 age group from 1982 to 1996 is at Annex B. While the smoking rate for both sexes aged 15-19 has fluctuated over the years, the rates today are still higher than the lowest recorded in 1984.

Apart from research into the causes of juvenile smoking in other countries, both The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong carried out similar research in Hong Kong in 1994" . They found a positive relationship between cigarette advertising and smoking. Additionally, the CUHK's research found that the influence of close friends and family members, attitudes towards the effect of smoking on health, and age were important variables in predicting teenage smoking behaviour.

These local and overseas studies validate Government's current multi-faceted anti-smoking strategy. This looks to legislation to restrict tobacco advertising, publicity to inform the community about the health hazards of smoking, and education to influence individual and peer group attitudes towards smoking.