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Members of the public are advised to take note of the extended smoking ban to all indoor areas of workplaces, public places, restaurants, bars for all ages, karaoke lounges from tomorrow (January 1), as required under the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Ordinance.
Extended no-smoking areas also include indoor areas of public markets, hawker bazaars, cooked-food hawker bazaars, refuse collection points, public toilets under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department as well as beaches, swimming pools, stadiums, sports grounds, sports centres, museums, libraries, civic centres, and most parks and playgrounds under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The Deputy Director of Health, Dr TH Leung, today (December 31) appealed to members of the public, in particular smokers, to take an initiative to comply with the new legislative requirements.
Venue managers are also encouraged to provide a smoke-free environment for protection of the health of their staff as well as the customers, he added.
"Both the smokers and venue managements should understand that the objective of the new requirement is to protect the public, particularly the employees, from the hazards of second hand smoke and we will enforce it in a polite manner," he said.
Anyone who committed a smoking offence are subject to a maximum penalty of $5 000. Members of the public may visit the TCO website
http://www.tobaccocontrol.gov.hk/chi/images/TCOL030.pdf to get a better understanding of the new designated no-smoking areas under the Ordinance.
Dr Leung said that however, the implementation date of the smoking ban for six types of listed qualified establishments may be deferred to July 1, 2009 provided that they have complied with the statutory requirements and make notification to the Director of Health.
These establishments are bars for people aged 18 and above, bathhouses and massage establishments, nightclubs, designated mahjong rooms in qualified clubs, and Mahjong tin-kau premises.
As at today, about 990 notifications for deferment of smoking ban were received and processing for 795 of them have been completed, including 533 bars, 88 bathhouses and massage establishments, 56 nightclubs, 62 designated mahjong rooms in qualified clubs, and 56 mahjong tin-kau premises.
Dr Leung said that Tobacco Control Inspectors of the TCO would continue their efforts to carry out enforcement action and launch publicity and education activities to promote a smoke-free environment and the new legislative requirements.
Ends/Sunday, December 31, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:37
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