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Written by: Contribution of Political Theory
2021-03-29 17:17
Last update date: 2021-03-29 17:17
Smoking is harmful to health!
The academic community in Hong Kong has always insisted on moving towards a total ban on smoking and fully supports the Government’s “Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019” to prohibit the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and promotion of alternative smoking products, including e-cigarettes and heating cigarettes. And herbal tobacco.
On the premise of protecting public health and building a smoke-free environment for the younger generation, the Legislative Council and the Bills Committee should pass the Amendment Ordinance as soon as possible.
However, strangely during the deliberation process, a number of congressmen unanimously escorted the heating cigarettes, striving to separate and review e-cigarettes and implement regulations only on heating cigarettes, and release heating cigarettes and similar alternative smoking products in disguise. This move was actually opposed "Amendment Regulations."
Written by: Mr. Deng Zhenqiang, retired secondary school principal
Deng Zhenqiang, retired secondary school principal (profile picture)
Members' comments were varied, such as "heated tobacco is safer than traditional cigarettes", "heated tobacco can help quit smoking or switch to smoking, it should not be banned, heating tobacco should be allowed according to the lesser of two evils", "64 countries Heating smoke has been allowed, most of which are developed countries" and "The smoking rate in Hong Kong is already very low, and strict regulatory measures should not be adopted."
Is heating smoke safer than traditional smoke?
The Hong Kong government tested heating cigarettes in 2017 and found that all aerosol samples contained nicotine and tar, and the content was similar to that of some locally sold cigarettes.
The World Health Organization issued a statement on July 27, 2020, stating that "some toxins are contained in heated tobacco product smoke than traditional cigarette smoke, and there are some toxins in heated tobacco product smoke that are not found in traditional cigarette smoke." Wei concluded that heating smoke is no less harmful than traditional smoke.
Can heating cigarettes help quit smoking?
According to the Hong Kong Committee on Smoking and Health citing a study conducted by Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Osaka International Agency for Diseases, heating cigarettes is related to the beginning or relapse of traditional cigarettes.
The study tracked about 6,000 people who did not smoke or had quit traditional cigarettes. The results showed that those who used heated cigarettes were 66% more likely to start smoking or relapse after one year.
This possibility is higher among people who have never smoked cigarettes. Those who use heated cigarettes have nearly 10 times the chance of starting to smoke cigarettes.
The potential portal effect of heated cigarettes, which induces never-smokers to smoke cigarettes, cannot be ignored.
Follow the non-prohibition policies of developed countries?
Tobacco control policies around the world are different and are affected by various factors, including political and economic intervention by the tobacco industry, the government's dependence on tobacco revenue and the level of cleanliness, and smoking rates.
It is not persuasive to simply talk about the same and follow suit without thoroughly studying the differences in national conditions, social values, and governance abilities.
The academic community in Hong Kong has succeeded in making students generally understand the effects of traditional cigarettes on the body for many years. However, the alternative smoking products promoted by tobacco companies are fashionable in packaging and have no smell when smoking. They are concealed and are more likely to attract students to smoke.
The academic community is worried that if the "Amendment Ordinance" is not passed as soon as possible, it will tacitly approve the safety and acceptability of heating cigarettes in disguised form, conveying wrong information to young people, and encouraging tobacco companies to explore new markets.
Tobacco control is the global trend. Hong Kong’s smoking rate is only 10.2%, which has the potential to become the world’s first comprehensive smoking ban. Government leaders and legislators must put public health first and implement a total ban on alternative smoking products as soon as possible to curb it. The products are developing rapidly in Hong Kong to safeguard public interests and health.
(The content of the article represents the author's opinion)
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