Press Releases

Additional anti-smoking measures to come into effect

The Government today (Thursday) reminded the public that a number of measures in the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Ordinance 1997 would come into effect tomorrow (Friday).

A spokesman for the Health and Welfare Bureau explained that as from tomorrow, the manager of a restaurant which provides for indoor seating accommodation for more than 200 persons, excluding accommodation being used exclusively for a private event and separated by full height partition, shall designate not less than one-third of the area of such as a no smoking area.

In addition, the sale of cigarettes in packets of less than 20 sticks will be prohibited starting tomorrow. It will also be illegal for anyone to sell, offer for sale or possess for the purposes of sale any cigarette containing an amount of tar exceeding 17 milligrams.

The Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Regulation 1998, which was gazetted on January 26, 1998 and provides for new requirements on tobacco advertisements in printed publications carrying health warnings and tar group designations, will also come into effect tomorrow.

To tie in with certain changes made by the Amendment Ordinance 1997, a Smoking (Public Health)(Notices)(Amendment) Order 1999 has also been made to, inter alia, impose new requirements on the prescription of health warnings on packets and containers of tobacco products. The Amendment Order 1999 will also be gazetted and come into force tomorrow.

End/Thursday, July 15, 1999

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