Jan 09, 2009 – SCMP
The Hong Kong Cancer Fund wishes to comment on the Talkback letters concerning a delay to the full smoking ban in Hong Kong.
While we recognise personal choice and freedom of individuals, we believe a full smoking ban is in the best interests of the community. Tobacco is the single largest preventable cause of cancer in the world today.
Here in Hong Kong, lung cancer remains the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in our community, with more than 3,600 people dying of this chronic illness every year.
Having spent more than two decades caring for people affected by cancer, we believe it is important to help minimise the burden of cancer in our community. And the ways the government can do this with respect to cancers induced by tobacco use is to protect people from tobacco smoke, offer help to smokers to quit, warn people about the dangers of tobacco, raise taxes and enforce bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorship.
As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you or someone you know is living with cancer and in need of help, please call CancerLink Central on 3667 3000 or visit www.cancer-fund.org to access free information and professional support.
Sally Lo, chairman, Hong Kong Cancer Fund