ENG-2000 — Page 226

HEALTH

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or psychiatric day centres and home visits by community nurses are charged at $55 per session. Fees may be reduced or waived in case of financial hardship.

Smoking and Health

The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health is an independent statutory body, established in 1987 to acquire and disseminate information on the hazards of using tobacco products, and to advise the Government on matters related to smoking, passive smoking and health. It comprises a Chairman, Vice-Chairman and 13 members appointed by the Government from a wide cross-section of the community. It forms standing committees and working groups to deal with specific smoking prevention and control tasks.

During the year, the council conducted publicity and community involvement campaigns with particular emphasis on discouraging smoking in public places. The council designated May 2, 2000 as Hong Kong's first annual 'No-Smoking Day in the Workplace', which drew support from a large number of employers and employees. The council continued its school health talks programme. A new interactive education drama has been developed and it started touring primary and secondary schools from October.

In collaboration with the Ruttonjee Hospital, the Department of Community Medicine and Department of Nursing Studies of the University of Hong Kong, and the Department of Community and Family Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the council set up in August a Smoking Cessation Health Centre located at the Ruttonjee Hospital. By the end of December, a total 468 smokers had approached the centre for smoking cessation support services.

The council also operates a telephone hotline to receive enquiries, suggestions and complaints from members of the public on matters related to smoking and health. A total of 7 216 calls were received through the hotline in 2000.

Government Laboratory

The Government Laboratory, as the centre for provision of analytical and advisory services within the Hong Kong SAR Government, has major scientific and statutory commitments in public health protection through regular examination of food, pharmaceuticals, Chinese medicines and other commodities.

In 2000, 72 535 tests were carried out on food products, arising mainly from regular surveillance programmes. In addition, food poisoning cases arising from intake of pesticide-tainted vegetables and pork or pig offal contaminated by beta-agonists often called for urgent or even round-the-clock analytical services. Special investigations were also carried out to test for the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins in squalene health foods, and for pesticides and heavy metal content in tea leaves. The issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has aroused much debate, and any labelling control of such food products would highlight the need to develop validated analytical procedures. In June, the Government Laboratory began to develop testing protocols for detection of GMOs in food, and a pilot molecular biology testing facility is scheduled to be operational by early 2001.

Apart from the routine analysis of Chinese medicines for the presence of synthetic drugs or excessive amounts of toxic metals, a number of research projects have been