Hong Kong - Anti-smoking legislation in Hong Kong has been weakened over the past decade partly because of the links between officials and the tobacco industry, a campaigner alleged Thursday. Judith Mackay, World Health Organization advisor and director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, claimed industry influence has caused a "recession" in smoking controls.
She said the tobacco industry had become more influential with the government over the past 10 years, resulting in the watering down of long-awaited anti-smoking legislation.
Mackay complained about continuing delays to a full ban on smoking in pubs and nightclubs in the former British colony, and low taxes on cigarettes.
Hong Kong introduced anti-smoking rules in January last year but granted exemptions to around 1,000 pubs and to all nightclubs for a further two years.
"There have been ministers appointed in the government who have had serious tobacco industry contacts," the activist said. "There have been people appointed to the central policy unit who have very close links with the tobacco industry."
Mackay argued that Hong Kong has gone from being the regional leader in tobacco controls to an also-ran, with Singapore overtaking the city as the one with the toughest anti-smoking legislation.
Smoking rates in Hong Kong are, nevertheless, among the region's lowest and are sharply lower than in neighbouring mainland China where a majority of men are smokers.
