Clear the Air herewith provides our readers with Tobacco stats for Hong Kong years 2013-2016
The figures tell us that the Hong Kong Government preventative health measures are blatantly NOT WORKING.
The sales of duty paid cigarettes continue to spiral instead of decreasing.
The Government takes over $6 billion in tobacco excise taxes then throws only crumbs to tobacco control and prevention resources – the $6bn remainder goes to pouring white elephant concrete.
The excise tax is manifestly insufficient for a 1st world country with such a high cost of living. Hong Kong needs to match Australia, New Zealand, UK , Ireland excise tax levels to have a preventative effect.
Hence tobacco remains affordable to youth here whilst Government apathy and lack of political will to act reign supreme. A form of misconduct in public office for their failure of duty of care to the people.
Meanwhile there is no apparent political will to force a legislative change to place the onus on landlords to prevent smoking in their licensed premises (whereas on the Mainland they have such laws).
As long as people can go out and smoke in places of entertainment with negligible chances of being caught, they will continue to do so.
Abysmal state of affairs. The highly paid incumbents would have been fired long ago in a business enterprise.