February 25th, 2008:

February 25, 2008 – Damon Pang – The Standard

Spending 10 percent of the extra revenue from a doubling of the tobacco tax in Wednesday’s budget speech on education would help youths quit smoking, the Committee on Youth Smoking Prevention said yesterday.

A survey conducted jointly by the committee and the Chinese University’s Hong Kong Institute of Asia Pacific Studies in December showed nine out of 10 respondents thought there is “an urgent” need to conduct anti-youth smoking campaigns.

Tik Chi-yuen, the committee chairman, said doubling the tax would provide more resources for the campaigns.

“Currently, each cigarette is taxed 80 HK cents. If you double that it could bring a certain level of deterrent effect as the increased cost make youths more cautious in their consumption, even when they share the cigarettes,” he said.

Tik noted that most youths smoke because of peer pressure as well as copying their idols’ behavior. They still smoke even though they know the habit is detrimental to their health, although an education fund can form a better foundation to discourage smoking.

Thomas Tse Lin-chung, the committee vice chairman, said regional neighbors such as Taiwan, Macau and Thailand, have used part of their tax on education as recommended by a recent World Health Organization report.

He suggested tighter legislation to prevent students in school uniforms to buy cigarettes. Tse also feared youths have been smoking more as the cost of an average packet has actually gone down to HK$29 compared to about HK$31 in 2001.

Li Cheong-lung, the chief executive of the committee, said the survey of 1,008 people found that 87.1 percent believed the issue of young smokers is “serious” or “very serious.”

Four out of five thought the government lacked sufficient effort on the issue, while nearly three out of four believed the government should “sharply increase” the tobacco tax. Another 86.5 percent felt the tobacco tax should be used to fund preventive measures.

Colleen Lee – SCMP
Updated on Feb 25, 2008

“A new call has been made by the Committee on Youth Smoking Prevention for tobacco duty to be doubled after a survey by the group found 74 per cent of Hongkongers supported a drastic increase.

Committee chief executive Li Cheong-lung urged the government to double the duty in Wednesday’s budget to discourage under-age smoking. If such an increase was introduced, the duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes would be raised from about HK$16 to about HK$32.

The group also urged the government to use 5 per cent to 10 per cent of tobacco tax revenue to set up a fund to cover work on preventing teenagers from smoking. Mr Li said: “Prevention is always better than cure. It will be so hard for teens to get rid of the habit once they get hooked.”

Government figures show cigarette tax revenue in the 2006-07 financial year totalled HK$2.75 billion, the largest sum in the past 15 years.

In the poll of 1,008 people aged at least 18, 86.5 per cent backed a law to allocate a percentage of the tobacco tax towards efforts to prevent under 18s taking up the habit.

The committee commissioned Chinese University’s Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies to carry out the survey in December.

The poll also found that 87.5 per cent of interviewees supported a ban on the sale of cigarettes to students wearing school uniform. “It would make it easier for law enforcers and passers-by to notice the wrongdoing,” committee vice-chairman Thomas Tse Lin-chung said.

A new call has been made by the Committee on Youth Smoking Prevention for tobacco duty to be doubled after a survey by the group found 74 per cent of Hongkongers supported a drastic increase.

Committee chief executive Li Cheong-lung urged the government to double the duty in Wednesday’s budget to discourage under-age smoking. If such an increase was introduced, the duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes would be raised from about HK$16 to about HK$32.

The group also urged the government to use 5 per cent to 10 per cent of tobacco tax revenue to set up a fund to cover work on preventing teenagers from smoking. Mr Li said: “Prevention is always better than cure. It will be so hard for teens to get rid of the habit once they get hooked.”

Government figures show cigarette tax revenue in the 2006-07 financial year totalled HK$2.75 billion, the largest sum in the past 15 years.

In the poll of 1,008 people aged at least 18, 86.5 per cent backed a law to allocate a percentage of the tobacco tax towards efforts to prevent under 18s taking up the habit.

The committee commissioned Chinese University’s Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies to carry out the survey in December.

The poll also found that 87.5 per cent of interviewees supported a ban on the sale of cigarettes to students wearing school uniform. “It would make it easier for law enforcers and passers-by to notice the wrongdoing,” committee vice-chairman Thomas Tse Lin-chung said.