Should the full ban on smoking be postponed?
According to the report 'Tougher laws on way for smokers, says health chief' (December 11), our health minister, York Chow Yat-ngok, says he wants to establish a smoke-free city with tougher laws for smokers.
He wants to ban smoking anywhere in Hong Kong except our own homes, as well as increase import taxes on cigarettes.
Why not then just stop the selling of cigarettes in Hong Kong? The government wants to profit from the huge revenue from taxes on cigarette imports as long as smokers kill themselves in private.
Cigarette imports are up by 9.1 per cent this year but Dr Chow says this is not because more people are smoking. How would he know if he does not smoke himself?
I think people are smoking more because of all these restrictions because now, instead of smoking in a controlled environment like their office, a bar or a restaurant, they have to make an effort to go outside so end up smoking twice as much to make up for the inconvenience of having to go out: 'Oh, might as well have one more for the road before we go back in.'
There are many other air-pollutant factors in Hong Kong - such as vehicles parked with running engines or restaurant exhaust systems blowing out hot air to the streets - that I don't see anything being done about.