Editorial | Be bold in stubbing out use of tobacco
- Health officials want Hong Kong to achieve an ‘end-game’ by reducing smoking prevalence to 5 per cent or below, a target that will take sometimes controversial measures to reach
It is regrettable that health authorities are stepping back from previous bold proposals to discourage tobacco use, including banning Hongkongers born after a certain date from buying cigarettes.
The generational ban was floated after New Zealand moved to halt tobacco sales to anyone born in 2009 or after, a measure expected to come into force in 2027.
A similar ban is still among 17 possible measures included in a questionnaire being distributed citywide over the next two months. The open-ended public consultation is what health minister Lo Chung-mau hopes will help officials “keep up with the times” as they draft strategies to protect the next generation from the harms of tobacco and ensure sustainability of the healthcare system.
The consultation will cover four strategies – regulating supply and suppressing demand, banning promotion and reducing attractiveness, expanding non-smoking areas and mitigating harm, as well as enhancing education and supporting smokers trying to quit.
There were no concrete measures in the strategies Lo outlined on July 12, and a source told the Post that decision makers had grave concerns about opposition from smokers and the business sector.
