1988 — Page 112

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

And I would like to remind members that one of our prime responsibilities is the health of the community. We have a large army of health inspectors and we are charged to make sure that hygiene is observed in all the areas of our responsibility, and yet, here we are, encouraging a most unhygienic and unhealthy habit by allowing a company whose name is also on a cigarette packet to sponsor one of our major events.

The point, Mr. Chairman, is that we must discourage tobacco advertising in all its forms. I am not one of those who wants to forbid smoking or drinking. Such prohibitions have been seen to be counter-productive and only encourage gangsters, but we must stop the encouragement of people to smoke. We must especially stop the encouragement of our young population to smoke. And when a responsible body like this Council accepts money from a company tainted by the tobacco business, I can just hear a youngster turn to his parents who are trying to stop him smoking saying, 'Well, if the Urban Council thinks it is alright, why shouldn't I smoke?'

Our situation is not unique. There are many other organizations who, in their time, were dependent and are dependent on tobacco company sponsorship. But in all those cases where either for moral reasons or because Governments finally saw the light and stepped in, tobacco sponsorship was stopped, other companies stepped in because if you have something that is really worthwhile like, for instance, the Arts Festival which will open our new facilities in our new Cultural Centre, it is always possible to find other non-tobacco sponsors. But even if we don't find other sponsors, and even if this Council should decide that it is not worthwhile spending our own money, or rather the ratepayers' money, on a grand opening, in spite of the fact that such a grand opening can be seen as an investment in the future of the Cultural Centre, I still think that we must now take the right moral stand and say no to all tobacco advertising and to all tobacco sponsorship.

I appeal to all members here to make this Council's stand on tobacco advertising quite clear so that we cannot be blamed by the public, or praised by the Tobacco Institute, for any support of the tobacco industry. A defeat of this motion would be a moral defeat for this Council. It would say to the public that this Council is more interested in obtaining money for cultural or sporting events than in the health of our people. The image of this Council is at stake. I appeal to all of you to cast your vote for this motion.

Mr. Chairman, I so move.

(Mr. Samuel P. W. WONG left at 3.22 p.m.)

DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG seconded the motion (in English):- Mr. Chairman, I beg to second the Motion tabled by Mr. SULLKE that 'this Council will not support the tobacco industry or the use of tobacco by allowing sponsorship of Urban Council events by tobacco companies'.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

1. MEDICAL EVIDENCE

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As a medical doctor, I realize the harmful effects of smoking on Hong Kong people. I would like to take this opportunity to quote some medical data. For example: World Health Organization estimated that throughout the world, at least 2.5 million smokers die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases yearly. One in four smokers die from smoking. Has our Council ever been asked to consider any other public health hazard with this degree of risk?

In Hong Kong, Medical and Health Department has estimated that smoking causes at least 3,000 people to die prematurely. In other words, smoking causes around 12% of total deaths in Hong Kong every year. Smoking is therefore the largest preventable cause of death in Hong Kong. It is more than the mortality figure from traffic accidents, fire, homicide, and alcohol consumption put together.

However, due to the latent period between starting smoking and development of tobacco-related diseases, the risks of smoking are not so immediately apparent. Nonetheless, they are no less serious.

From a medical standpoint, cigarette smoking is dangerous and should not be promoted. However, many people are still smoking. Smokers usually started smoking when they were still young and then became addicted. Because of cigarette's addictive nature, people who started to smoke may not be able to quit when they want to.

2. YOUTH IN HONG KONG

One worrying trend is that many young people are now starting to smoke. Government and University studies on secondary school children in 1982 and 1986 in Hong Kong indicate they start to smoke for various reasons and they cite tobacco promotion as one of the major factors. Recognizing this, well over half of the Hong Kong children themselves thought that tobacco advertising on TV, for example, should be banned.

The most recent survey, carried out in late 1986, indicates that 8% of 12-year-old boys confess to being regular smokers. Our children need every protection from any inducement and encouragement to start smoking.

3. TOBACCO-INDUSTRY'S OWN STATEMENTS

Some people may argue that sponsorship is not promotion. May I now cite three newspaper interviews of the tobacco firm spokesmen.

The sponsorship manager for the cigarette brand Silk Cut, Mr. WHITEHEAD, publicly stated in the South China Morning Post on 12 February 1986, which I quote 'Sponsorship is just another form of advertising' as assessed against three criteria.

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