HK Council on Smoking calls for tobacco end-game
The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health says the government should move towards a tobacco end-game, should it hit its 7.8 percent smoking rate target in 2025. The end-game - defined as the end of commercial and tobacco and nicotine use - has been adopted by countries such as the UK, New Zealand, and Malaysia.  "Our council's recommendations is that by year 2030 the smoking prevalence in Hong Kong should be lowered to 5 percent and, from that point on, the government can take steps towards a completely smoke-free Hong Kong," said Henry Tong, the council's chairman. Tong made the comment on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme as the council again pushed for higher tobacco taxes in the upcoming budget. "Right now the tobacco tax in Hong Kong... is about 64 percent of the retail price, which is not enough," he said.  "The World Health Organisation recommends that tobacco tax should be 75 percent of the retail price of tobacco products so we recommend that the financial secretary increase tobacco tax to at least 75 percent of the cigarette retail price." He said this would help to lower the Hong Kong smoking rate from about 9.5 percent to 8.8 percent. Tong also said that once the tax rate had hit 75 percent of the retail price, it should be increased annually at 10 percent above the inflation rate.  Other measures he put forward were an increase in non-smoking areas to reduce second-hand smoke, the banning of flavourings - such as menthol - that aims to attract female and young smokers, and a change in the warning signs on cigarette packs from the current 85 percent of the surface to 100 percent. He also called for law enforcement to crack down hard on cigarette smuggling.