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Hopes of Leung tobacco war grow

HK Standard

The combination of “people’s chief executive” Leung Chun-ying and his possible “wingman” in the health department is raising hopes the government will take the next big step towards a smoke-free city.

Mary Ann Benitez

Friday, June 08, 2012

The combination of “people’s chief executive” Leung Chun-ying and his possible “wingman” in the health department is raising hopes the government will take the next big step towards a smoke-free city.

That move is to ban “mini-billboard advertising” by imposing plain cigarette packaging.

A former Hospital Authority director of public affairs and human resources, who went into private practice, Ko Wing-man, is tipped to become the secretary for food and health in the new Cabinet.

Ko temporarily stepped in for authority chief executive William Ho Shiu-wei when Ho contracted SARS nine years ago.

With Leung expected to announce his team soon, Ko is tipped to succeed York Chow Yat-ngok.

Ko, who describes himself on Twitter as “This is Wing Man. I’m your friend,” earlier told The Standard he favors tobacco control initiatives, without going into details.

“As a doctor and as chairman of the Hong Kong Cancer Society, I would support any initiative to help eliminate tobacco.”

World Lung Foundation senior adviser Judith Mackay said she is “fairly optimistic” about plain packaging being adopted in Hong Kong. “A lot will depend on CY Leung,” she said. “And, to my knowledge, he does not have tobacco connections.”

Tobacco companies have warned they will file lawsuits if Hong Kong goes for plain packaging. A spokeswoman for the Coalition on Tobacco Affairs said there has been no case study in the world to show plain packaging will curb smoking.

Australia is set to be the first nation to enforce plain packaging on December 1.

Hong Kong-based Philip Morris Asia has filed a lawsuit against Canberra, claiming plain packaging legislation deprives it of investment under the Hong Kong/Australia Bilateral Investment Treaty Agreement.

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