Coca-Cola's irresponsible move The news about soft drinks and their link to cancer deserves our attention. The drinks are a favourite among teenagers in Hong Kong. No one denies that soft drinks are unhealthy. But a new report from America adds to the worries. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and other brands were found to contain unsafe levels of a chemical called 4-methylimidazole. The chemical gives the drinks a caramel colouring. But this substance may cause cancer. After the report, Coca-Cola said it would reduce its use of the chemical. But this is an irresponsible move to avoid adding warning labels. I hope the company will fulfil its duty to provide reliable food labels. Kelly Lam Wing-sum, Leung Shek Chee College Not enough rooms for tourists in HK There aren't enough hotel rooms for travellers in Hong Kong. The shortage is hindering the city's tourism industry. Some tourists prefer to travel to Shanghai or Singapore as a result. Our government should allocate more resources to open up the hotel industry. It can lease more land to hotel developers, while making conditions more attractive to them. To address the limited land supply, the government could change zoning rules so that industrial buildings could be renovated to become hotels. Another way to ease the burden on hotels is to encourage more mainland tourists just to take one-day trips. This way, rooms can be reserved for tourists on longer trips. If the government doesn't solve the problems soon, Hong Kong will lag behind in tourism. Leung Wai-ting, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School A glimpse of our true colours Have you ever realised that seeing in colour is a wonderful thing? What if we could see only black and white - like in old movies? That would be boring. Life starts out white, because we are born with blank minds. After we gain experience, different colours start to emerge. We see mild greens and oranges when we relax; ocean-blue and purple when we are frustrated; and red and yellow when we feel joy. Our lives are big rainbows, with colours of happiness and sorrow. Hilary Woo Sze-yan, Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College Let's return to our cultural roots As an international city, Hong Kong has absorbed the cultures of other places. But we are also responsible for passing on our Chinese culture. After Cantonese, English is the most common language in Hong Kong. But what about the language of our motherland? Putonghua is not commonly used here. Although most schools teach Putonghua, there's usually only one or two lessons per week. My school has English Week, but no Putonghua Week. Also, many students learn to play the piano and other Western musical instruments. But what about Chinese instruments, or calligraphy, and similar cultural activities? Also, many people watch Western movies in local cinemas, but only a few appreciate the beauty of Cantonese opera. Why does this happen? I think it is because Hongkongers don't have a sense of belonging to China. I hope schools teach children more about Chinese culture. After all, we are still Chinese people. Cherry Wong, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College Join efforts to end eating disorders Schools should spare no effort to convey how dangerous eating disorders can be, but the media and family should also take responsibility to reverse the trend. Some fashion magazines publish photographs of super-skinny models who have been digitally enhanced or reduced. Young women are bombarded with those fake images every day. As a result, they will try to make themselves look just as skinny, and many of them develop eating disorders. Such photos should be restricted, to avoid sending unhealthy messages to young women. Parents should set a good example by leading a healthy lifestyle. They should also keep an eye on their children's diet. This can prevent the youngsters from developing eating disorders. Lilith Ng Lee-fu, King Ling College