SCMP, June 22, 2001: Officials yesterday sought to allay the fears of the hospitality industry over a proposed smoking ban.
The Health and Welfare Bureau announced it had commissioned a study on the impact of the proposal to ban smoking in bars, restaurants, schools, universities and indoor workplaces other than private homes.
Deputy Secretary for Health and Welfare Thomas Yiu Kei-chung also said the proposal was not 'cast in concrete'.
The Government would focus on education rather than prosecution, he said, as the success of the ban would ultimately hinge on the level of public support for it.
'We want to create a smoke-free culture so our next generation will have a more healthy environment,' he said. 'Our objective is to further protect non-smokers from the adverse impact of second-hand smoke.'
However, the lawmaker representing the catering industry, Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, dismissed the study as a waste of time and money that would only rubber-stamp the Government's views. The industry - which fears losses of between 10 and 50 per cent - has funded its own study, which is to be completed by August.
