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SCMP Reporter

I refer to  your editorial ('More action needed to combat smoking', December 6) and the letter by Li Cheuk-him ('Raise tobacco tax for health', December 8). 
It is pointless to have legislation without sufficient manpower to enforce it. 
The new Macau Tobacco Control Office  will have 70 enforcement officers for a population of 514,000, whilst our  Tobacco Control Office has just 99 officers to cover two shifts and a local population of 7.2 million with 10 million smoking tourists visiting  every year. 
To match Macau's staffing level Hong Kong needs 980 enforcement officers. In overseas jurisdictions sensible legislators put the 'keep smoke-free' legal onus on the premises' managers/licensees. 
If smoking is found  on the premises the authorities can and do remove the  operating licence.
In  Britain one errant pub licensee who encouraged his patrons to smoke was sent to jail. Passive smoking kills and all workers are entitled to clean-air working environments. 
Hong Kong needs to amend its legislation to follow suit and thereby create a level playing field for businesses since many currently encourage smoking to draw customers away from other premises that enforce the law. 
The acknowledged optimum method to prevent youths starting their addiction is regular excise taxation increases on tobacco. 
Hong Kong frequently jousts with Singapore in many aspects of life and business. In Singapore the tax on a packet of cigarettes is HK$18 higher than the like tax in Hong Kong plus an additional 7 per cent  sales tax on top.
 Previous and current financial secretaries have raised tobacco tax 'for health reasons' and in the upcoming budget the incumbent must emulate Singapore's tobacco taxation level since we are way behind. 
This Armageddon for the tobacco industry always leads to cries that 'smuggling will increase' - the fact that smuggling is propagated by the tobacco industry  itself through  its uncontrolled supply chain is an acknowledged fact. 
Smuggling is a crime enforcement matter not a preventative health problem. 
As the former  commissioner of customs and excise the current financial secretary is well aware of this fact. 
In Canada tobacco industry executives were fined hundreds of millions of dollars  for smuggling. 
 In Europe major tobacco companies are fined under an agreement with the EU that was established to make them enforce their supply chains. 
In Hong Kong there are offences under the Organised and Serious Crime Ordinance that can be enforced. It all comes down to the government's political will.
James Middleton, chairman, anti-tobacco committee, Clear the Air



Bars that let customers smoke should lose operating licence