Q What can be done to stop the sale of cigarettes to minors? Philip Morris Asia does not want children to smoke. Why? It is wrong, bad for our reputation and bad for business. It is clear that more needs to be done in Hong Kong. Tougher enforcement is needed to prevent youth access to tobacco. Possible solutions include licensing at the retail level and increased funding for enforcement efforts. A licensing system governing tobacco retailers should be part of Hong Kong's tobacco regulation. Of course, licensing without enforcement is of little or no value. The government should consider compliance checks. Such systems are in place in countries such as Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. In addition, retailers should have the right to check identification to verify age when they suspect that a potential customer may be under age. This would help retailers to better address the issue. Everyone has a role to play in preventing youth smoking - tobacco companies, retailers, the government, parents and educators. We are committed to continuing to work with all parties to tackle this very serious issue. Tammy Chan, general manager (Hong Kong and Macau), Philip Morris Asia Q How can animal welfare be improved? In reply to Angela Scott's comments about KFC (Talkback, September 2), we present the following information. KFC represents only a small percentage of the chicken production in Hong Kong and sources its high-quality products from the same suppliers as leading supermarket chains and food retailers. These meet the Good Manufacturing Practice, the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) food safety control system and the ISO 9001 quality management system. KFC is committed to good animal welfare practices. KFC poultry suppliers meet or exceed animal welfare legislation and industry standards. Representatives from KFC inspect poultry farms regularly to ensure that conditions are satisfactory and chickens are processed according to requirements. Emily Wong, senior marketing manager, Birdland (Hong Kong) Q How much do you spend on your hobby? A trip to the library is my most popular hobby. Aside from the transport fees and taxes used to fund the library, it costs me nothing. The best things in life are free, and always will be. Chohong Choi, Kwun Tong Q What do you think of the design of the new Star Ferry complex? Ian Brownlee (Talkback, September 1) describes how the Star Ferry Pier was almost lost, but finally found and encourages us to be grateful that we have one at all. But I feel nothing but sadness that a well-loved old building with history, patina and human scale is yet again demolished to make way for an unnecessarily grandiose structure of pastiche architecture and tacky ornamentation. The current Star Ferry Pier is a unique and distinctive cultural building. The new Central Pier is mundane. For decades, the Star Ferry has been a cheap, pleasant way to cross the harbour. Now it is no longer convenient for most people in the Central area. How can anyone be complacent let alone pleased by this? Who is responsible for these catastrophes and how much longer do we have to put up with them? Markus Shaw On other matters ... Ravina Shamdasani's article on a pilot scheme to help parents to teach their children life values in Tuesday's City section is very interesting. The Women's Commission has rightly recognised the need to inculcate good values in today's young generation. People with integrity have not only succeeded in their life but also have become role models and ideal citizens. The biggest problem facing today's parents is time constraints, which takes them away from their children. Parents planning to spend more time with their children during the weekdays may feel more pressure. To ease this pressure, grandparents can play a wonderful role in caring for children. Parents need to understand their children's constant need of time, attention, love, care and understanding. Such needs may not be fulfilled by parents. However if these efforts of inculcating life values in children is shared by grandparents as well, there is guaranteed success. If family life in India is studied, you will see that even in past generations, parents had no time for children as men were busy earning and women busy in housework. Despite this, children grew up as confident individuals with strong values. This was due to the constant shower of love and attention by their grandparents. Parents should be encouraged to arrange more quality time together with grandparents and children so children will enjoy two generations of love, attention, discipline, pampering, sharing and caring. It has been said that life is a circle and what you do comes back to you. Care for your children so they will care for you. Shilpa Bohra, Mongkok
