ENG-2010 — Page 219

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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

the Government on matters relating to smoking, passive smoking and health, and with publicising the hazards of smoking. The COSH has conducted a number of publicity and community involvement campaigns to nurture a smoke-free culture and encourage smokers to stop smoking. It 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. The COSH's publicity and educational programmes attracted an attendance of about 81 000 people in 2010.

The COSH also launched a territory-wide publicity drive called 'Smoke-Free Hong Kong' which included broadcasts on TV and radio and it 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 DH provides service users with advice on how to stop smoking, a 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 2010, the TCO organised 46 seminars on smoking cessation. Some 1 200 people attended the seminars.

The DH 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 (TWGHS), launched a pilot community-based smoking cessation programme covering clinical cessation services, training for smoking cessation personnel, and relevant clinical researches as well as publicity. The centres on smoking cessation under the TWGHS provide the public with free smoking cessation services. It is hoped that through this programme, assessments can be made of the effectiveness of various cessation methods in helping to develop a robust standard for smoking cessation services in the Chinese community.

In April 2010, the department collaborated with Pok Oi Hospital in the provision of a smoking cessation pilot programme using traditional Chinese medicine. This programme covers smoking cessation services, education for the public and research