On a three-day camp last month in Sai Kung, businessman Chan Chi-kin was in no mood to enjoy the greenery and pristine beaches around him. The 44-year-old, who smoked three packs a day since he was 17, had to summon all his willpower to fend off the urge to light up.
Chan, who had tried to quit on his own but failed, says the camaraderie among the quitters in the camp - organised by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals' (TWGH) Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation - boosted his confidence in overcoming his addiction.
'My failed attempt crushed my confidence. I am afraid that I will fail again,' he says. 'But the people in the camp supported and motivated me. With others also struck by cravings but unable to light up, I feel I am not alone.'
The first quitting camp in Hong Kong, with seven heavy smokers, was one of several initiatives launched by the government and anti-smoking groups.
Even though Hong Kong has the lowest smoking rate in the world, at 11.1 per cent, smoking still accounts for 6,000 deaths per year in the city. The annual economic loss due to damage caused by tobacco is HK$5.3 billion. As a sign of the government's seriousness in cracking down on tobacco addiction, investment in smoking cessation has risen from HK$3 million in 2008-09 to HK$80 million in 2012-13.
The first government-sponsored cessation centre was set up by the Council on Smoking and Health in 2000 at the outpatient department of Ruttonjee Hospital. There are now 40 cessation centres under the Health Department and the Hospital Authority.
The government further commissioned TWGH to provide free cessation services in 2009 - it now runs six centres. Last year, a quit-line aimed at youths was set up by the University of Hong Kong's School of Nursing.
