XN000022-1996-12-04 — Page 49

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As an important part of our strategy, the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) a statutory body wholly funded by Government has focussed its campaign efforts towards helping young people to establish a correct perception about smoking, namely that it is hazardous to health and is not healthy, glamourous, trendy or "cool". A total of $7.5 million has been granted to COSH to intensify its activities in this area. COSH has produced three Announcement of Public Interests broadcast on TV targeted particulary at youth. Apart from this form general publicity, COSH have staged 80 anti-smoking drama performances and delivered 69 health talks in schools in 1995/96.

The Department of Health, which is responsible for primary health care, also plays a part through its Health Ambassador Scheme. Each year, about 1,000 secondary schools students are trained by the Department of Health as Health Ambassadors. They are taught about health issues and healthy lifestyles, with anti- smoking being one of the topics. These Ambassadors then organize different programmes in their schools, districts and neighbourhoods with advice from the Department. Anti-smoking messages are thus disseminated effectively through these channels to our young people as well as their friends and families. As an on-going effort to promote a smokefree culture, leaflets on the hazards of smoking are placed in the Department's Student Health Service Centres, so that students coming to the centre for checkings can take the information home with them.

While anti-smoking publicity and education are mainly carried out by COSH and the Department of Health, Government plays its part by providing a legislative framework which includes no-smoking areas, health warnings for tobacco products and restrictions on tobacco advertising. We have already banned tobacco advertising on TV, on radio and in cinemas. Since April last year, we have also prohibited the sale or giving of tobacco products to people under the age of 18. We are currently considering further legislative measures and aim to introduce these into the Legislative Council next year.

Research references:

Department of Community Medicine, HKU, The Youth Smoking and Health Survey 1994 - Youth Smoking, Health and Tobacco promotion, Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, Report No. 1, November 1994.

Leo Y M Sin, Cigarette Advertising and Juvenile Smoking Behavior: A Logit- Model Analysis, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, October 1994.