Lifetime ban on cigarettes for Hongkongers born after certain date proposed in public consultation on smoking
- Health minister Lo Chung-mau says consultation to be based on four anti-smoking strategies
- People can comment on 17 possible measures floated in consultation questionnaire
Health authorities stopped short of offering concrete measures under four new anti-smoking strategies proposed on Wednesday, with a government source saying members of the city’s top decision-making body had grave concerns that some contentious suggestions would trigger strong opposition from smokers and the business sector.
The consultation, involving a citywide questionnaire, began on Wednesday and is expected to end on September 30.
Health minister Lo Chung-mau said the consultation would cover four strategies – regulating supply and suppressing demand, banning promotion and reducing attractiveness, expanding non-smoking areas and mitigating harm, and enhancing education and supporting those quitting the habit.
“To protect our next generation from the harms of tobacco and to ensure the sustainability of our healthcare system, we need to draft strategies that keep up with the times,” Lo told a press briefing.
“As a doctor, I don’t want our next generation to suffer from the harms of smoking and second-hand smoke.”
People can comment on 17 possible measures floated in the questionnaire, including whether the city should “prohibit the sale of tobacco products to persons born after a certain date”.
