IT seems to me that Hong Kong anti-smoking laws are extremely ineffective. Travelling late last month out of Kai Tak Airport, the number of smokers I saw in the supposedly 'smoke-free' terminal was outrageous, many of them directly under the 'No Smoking' signs. There seemed to be absolutely zero enforcement. When I could take it no longer and asked an airport employee to ask several offenders to stop, he simply sulked away and did nothing.
And how about theatre announcements and signs of 'No Smoking - $5,000 fine'? Smokers ignore them with zeal. The KCR stations and platforms are no better. Can anyone give me evidence that anyone has ever paid those fines? I commend the MTR for keeping the platform areas basically smoke-free and the recent decision to post signs for keeping the entire station areas smoke-free. But I implore them and other businesses - please enforce no-smoking regulations. The general public does care about this.
And to smokers - do the world a favour and obey these rules. We would appreciate it.
DARREN K. PHILLIPS Sha Tin
