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SCMP Reporter

Nicotine gum and patches could appear in television commercials in future under a Broadcasting Authority proposal to relax the advertising code for electronic media.
Anti-smoking advocates welcomed the suggestion, saying it could turn nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)  into a more popular solution in Hong Kong.
According to a consultation paper provided by the authority yesterday, 30-year-old restrictions on advertisements for NRT products would be waived for the city's free and pay-TV channels, together with sound broadcasting services.
This follows the ban on smoking in most indoor public areas in January that has seen a steady stream of smokers desperate to quit.
'[The proposal] is to correspond with the government's anti-smoking policy and taking into account the right of smokers to know about smoking cessation products through electronic media,' the paper said.
The authority would consider imposing conditions on the commercials, such as forbidding them to be shown at the same time as children's programmes.
They should also contain messages advising viewers to consult health care professionals for details of the products.
The authority said the rules to prohibit advertising of 'smoking cures' were first introduced in 1977.
'Since there are no known smoking cures, advertisements were prohibited to avoid misleading the public,' a spokeswoman said.
Under the proposal, the term 'smoking cures' would also be replaced by 'smoking cessation products or services'.
NRT products in Hong Kong include nicotine chewing gums, patches, inhalers and lozenges. They can be bought at dispensaries without prescriptions.
The health department said there were currently 30 such products registered.
Sophia Chan Siu-chee,  head of the department of nursing studies at the University of Hong Kong, said NRT products were recognised internationally as a therapy for smokers who wanted to quit.
Like methadone for heroin addicts, NRT provides a smaller dose than a cigarette to help smokers break their addiction.
'It is one of the safest therapies with fewer side effects and avoids withdrawal symptoms,' Dr Chan said. 'It would be nice to see successful quitters sharing their experiences in TV commercials.'
She said NRT was not widely accepted by smokers here because it could be as costly as cigarettes.
Dr Chan, who runs a quit-smoking service, said NRT needed to be accompanied by counselling to change smokers' habits, which could be as much a part of the addiction.
'The addiction can be behavioural, rather than the physical addiction created by nicotine,' she said.
A spokeswoman for the Council on Smoking and Health said it welcomed the proposal for wider application of NRT in Hong Kong.



Ban on TV ads for 'smoking cures' set to end