Anti-smoking campaign under fire
A CAMPAIGN to discourage youngsters from smoking has come under fire because of a tobacco industry lobbying group's involvement in the organising committee.
The poster campaign was launched yesterday by the Campaign Committee Concerned about Minors Smoking, whose eight members include the Tobacco Institute of Hongkong, the Education Department and the Hongkong Factory Owners Association.
The 10,000 posters featuring the slogan ''Smoking should not be a part of growing up'' will be sent to schools.
But executive director of the Hongkong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH), Mr Cheung Che-kwok, said he had reservations about the Tobacco Institute's participation.
Promotions, such as a recent music disc distributed by a popular cigarette brand, were designed with youngsters in mind, he said.
''Are they not trying to associate with young people so what are they doing here? I hope they are not just trying to balance their conscience,'' he said.
''In this particular case I can't say that I praise them on behalf of COSH, but I honestly hope their motives for doing this are legitimate.'' However, the Tobacco Institute's executive director, Mr Lee Jark-pui, denied the campaign was a public relations exercise.
The institute represents the local tobacco industry.
Mr Lee said: ''The industry does work according to certain codes of conduct . . . and one of those things is that we all agree that our customers are not minors and we do not like to see minors smoking.'' The institute became involved because ''there has been a concern within the community that minors are smoking'', he added.
Mr Lee refused to answer any questions about advertising aimed at children or the health risks of smoking, maintaining such issues were outside the committee's terms of reference.
He also declined to comment on a proposal under consideration by the Government to ban the sale of cigarettes to under 18-year-olds, saying the committee was concerned only with education and publicity.
The poster campaign is the first project for the Campaign Committee Concerned about Minors Smoking, which was formed a year ago.