October 11th, 2018:
Ban unlikely to push smokers back to tobacco: govt
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/video-gallery.htm?vid=1422496
The Secretary for Food and Health, Sophia Chan, on Thursday played down fears that a ban on e-cigarettes could turn people using them to traditional tobacco products instead.
Chan said the people who raise such fears do not have actual proof to back up the claim.
The secretary said that whenever a new anti-smoking policy was introduced in the past, many people quit smoking. But she didn’t offer any figures for this.
Chan said the proposal to ban e-cigarettes was made after data from surveys conducted in recent months found that many local children are into the products.
She stressed that e-cigarettes have been branded as less harmful in order to attract young smokers, making them unaware how dangerous they can be.
The original plan was to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, but Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed an outright ban on importing, selling and promoting such products during her Policy Address on Thursday.
The ban was supported by many in the medical and education sectors, with both sectors’ lawmakers calling for such a move on Tuesday.
Sofia Chan scoffs at fears of switch to nicotine fix
The Secretary for Food and Health, Sophia Chan, does not believe e-cigs users will move on to cigarettes because of the ban.
The Secretary for Food and Health, Sophia Chan, today played down fears that a ban on e-cigarettes could tempt people using them on to traditional tobacco products instead.
Chan said the people who raise such fears do not have evidence to back up the claim, RTHK reports.
Chan said that whenever a new anti-smoking policy was introduced in the past, many people quit smoking. But she did not offer any data on those who quit.
Chan said the proposal to ban e-cigarettes was made after data from surveys conducted in recent months found that many local children favor the products.
She stressed that e-cigarettes have been branded as less harmful to attract young smokers.
The original plan was to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, but Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposed an outright ban on importing, selling and promoting such products during her Policy Address.
The ban was supported by many in the medical and education sectors.
Some huffs and puffs over e-cig ban
The proposed ban on electronic cigarettes has caused polarized reactions – with the medical sector supporting it while smokers and the tobacco industry crying foul.
E-cigarettes will soon be totally banned in the city – import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertisement – along with other new smoking products to protect public health, Carrie Lam said.
The pending ban came as a surprise as the government earlier proposed only to restrict new smoking products the same as normal cigarettes in a Legco proposal in June.
Lam said amendments will be submitted within this legislative session to ban e-cigarettes and all other new smoking products.
E-cigarettes are often packaged as better substitutes to conventional cigarettes, with promotional activities often targeting young people.
Lam believes the harmful effects of these products have been grossly underestimated.
She changed her mind over the original proposal after speaking with Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee and reading more about the subject.
A government source said under the amendment, individuals may not be allowed to bring e-cigarettes into the SAR, even if the products are for their own use.
Tobacco companies claim adult smokers are their target audience for e-cigarette products, but the government observed the products come in different flavors that could attract teenagers.
The number of e-cigarette users surged from less than 1,000 to more than 5,000 between 2015 and this year. In addition, 8.7 percent of secondary students have tried smoking e-cigarettes.
The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine and Federations of Parent-Teacher Associations welcomed the decision and urged the government to also restrict traditional cigarettes.
But tobacco company Philip Morris was not impressed, saying the 600,000 adult smokers in the city deserve to access “better products.”
Apart from that, the government will also enhance financial support for patients, in particular those suffering from rare diseases.
It will improve the means test mechanism of the Samaritan Fund and Community Care Fund Medical Assistance Programmes by modifying the calculation method and removing possessions of patients’ parents from household assets.
Also, the first Chinese medicine hospital in Tseung Kwan O will see its operator tendering procedures beginning in the second half of next year. It is expected to be completed and start operating by 2024.
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=115458&story_id=115458&d_str=20181011