ENG-2009 — Page 227

Health 167

They included venue managers of no-smoking areas and the public. The TCO also distributed health education materials (including guidelines, posters, no smoking signs and pamphlets) to venue managers of statutory no-smoking areas and the public. It will continue to provide training and support to relevant stakeholders and the public.

Publicity and Education

The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) is an independent statutory body charged with advising the Government on matters relating to smoking, passive smoking and health and with publicising the hazards of smoking. COSH conducted a number of publicity and community involvement campaigns to nurture a smoke-free culture and encourage smokers to stop smoking. The council also conducts education and publicity campaigns at kindergartens and primary and secondary schools through health talks and theatre programmes.

The aim is to encourage students to say 'no' to smoking and to support a smoke-free environment. COSH's publicity and educational programmes attracted an attendance of about 74 500 people in 2009.

In addition, the council launched a territory-wide publicity drive called 'Smoke- Free Hong Kong' which included broadcasts on TV and radio. The council also operates a website www.smokefree.hk and a telephone hotline to receive enquiries and suggestions from the public on smoking and health.

Smoking Cessation

The Department of Health provides service users with advice on how to stop smoking, counselling service and pharmaceutical treatment through various smoking cessation services, including a hotline, clinics and an interactive online cessation

centre.

It also broadcasts announcements on TV and radio, conducts seminars and issues health education materials to increase public awareness of the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke, and solicits public support for a smoke-free environment and the anti-smoking law. In 2009, the TCO organised 73 seminars on smoking cessation. Some 2 703 people attended the seminars.

The Department of Health also strives to enrol the support of local organisations in promoting smoking cessation services through their established networks in order to enhance the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of those services. In 2009, the department, in collaboration with the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, launched a three-year pilot community-based smoking cessation programme covering clinical cessation services, training for smoking cessation personnel, and relevant clinical researches as well as publicity and education.

Four centres have been set up across Hong Kong to provide smoking cessation services free of charge. It is hoped that through this programme, assessment can be made of the effectiveness of various cessation methods to help in developing a robust standard for smoking cessation services in the Chinese community.