HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-15 March 1989 香港立法局————————一九八九年三月十五日
Written answer to question
Prophylactic measures against accidents and injuries
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7. DR. LEONG asked: In view of the finding by the government Working Party on Postgraduate Medical Education and Training that "the most common cause of death in children and young adults in Hong Kong (in 1986) was injury and poisoning, especially accidents", will the Administration inform this Council what prophylactic measures are or will be taken to afford more protection for children and young people from accidents and injuries?
SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: This is a very wide ranging question since accidents and injuries can happen to young people in the course of any of their daily activities. It therefore touches on numerous policy areas and I have consulted widely within the Administration so as to be able to provide a comprehensive reply.
The Report of the Working Party on Postgraduate Medical Education and Training to which Dr. LEONG has referred found, among other things, that in 1986, injury and poisoning accounted for 65% of all male deaths and for 55% of all female deaths occurring at about the age of 25 years. The phrase "injury.and poisoning" is one of the categories of mortality quoted in the report, but this should be viewed in the perspective that poisoning resulted in 1986 in the death of 2% or less of persons in all age groups, including those under the age of 25. Deaths among young people resulting from other types of accident such as traffic accidents and accidental falls, for example, were considerably greater.
As regards the prevention of poisoning, warnings such as "keep out of the reach of children" are printed on all medicine labels issued by the Medical and Health Department. Also, under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, certain medicines are required to carry a label marked "poison".
As regards accidents in general, Government provides a wide range of publicity and education programmes which remind parents of their obligation to look after their children properly. In particular, there are campaigns on home safety including the use of electrical and gas appliances in the home, the dangers associated with leaving children unattended, road safety, and the forthcoming campaign on child neglect.
In conjunction with these publicity campaigns, the Education Department includes the subject of home safety in its booklets on good parenting. These booklets, of which over one million have been distributed, remind parents not to
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