TACO Cracks Down on Illegal Smoking Product Ads in San Po Kong

DH continues to step up enforcement operation against illegally displayed smoking product advertisements

The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 8) conducted an enforcement operation in San Po Kong to continue its efforts against illegally displayed smoking product advertisements. The Government will continue to strive to lower the demand for smoking products and motivate smokers to quit smoking through a multipronged approach of tobacco control measures in order to effectively reduce the use of tobacco products to safeguard the health of the community.

During the operation today, officers from TACO seized four smoking-product display boxes from two stores in San Po Kong, which were suspected of contravening the provisions of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) (the Ordinance) related to the prohibition of smoking product advertisements. TACO's investigation is ongoing. In accordance with the Ordinance, no person shall display or cause to be displayed any smoking product advertisement. Any person who contravenes the prohibitions is liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000, and in the case of a continuing offence, to a further penalty of $1,500 for each day during which the offence continues.

A spokesman for the DH stressed that TACO has long been closely monitoring the market situation and taking stringent enforcement actions against violations of the Ordinance, and will appropriately adjust its enforcement strategies according to the actual circumstances from time to time. Apart from following up and investigating each complaint, proactive plainclothes enforcement and interdepartmental joint operations have also been strengthened since 2023. The number of smoking-offence prosecutions has significantly increased from about 6 290 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) in 2022 to over 10 260 in 2023, representing an over 60 per cent increase, indicating the effectiveness of the enforcement strategies. To step up efforts in combating illegal waterpipe smoking in no-smoking areas, TACO conducted over 100 operations against illegal waterpipe smoking activities in no-smoking areas in the past 12 months. A total of 145 FPNs were issued against offending smokers, while 74 summonses were issued to staff members and operators of the bars/restaurants for aiding and abetting illegal smoking and other related offences. Moreover, from January 2023 to July 2024, TACO removed over 2 130 webpages, social media accounts or posts with smoking-product advertisements, and issued 124 summonses and 43 warning letters regarding offences of displaying or distributing smoking-product advertisements during the same period.

The spokesman pointed out that in order to effectively reduce the use of all tobacco products, it is necessary to lower the demand and motivate smokers to quit smoking through a multipronged approach of tobacco control measures, among which the most proven and effective measures are to increase the tobacco duty, as well as to combat the publicity and promotion of tobacco products, reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products (such as implementation of plain packaging and banning of flavoured tobacco), and to step up the promotion of smoking cessation. The Government announced in June this year the plan to introduce relevant tobacco control measures in the short term, and continue to explore various tobacco control measures in the medium and long term, thereby eliminating the social hazards posed by tobacco products in all aspects and safeguarding the health of the community with a multipronged approach.

Both the World Health Organization and the World Bank have pointed out that exaggerating illicit cigarette trading activities is the most common tactic used by the tobacco industry to counteract effective tobacco control measures. Raising the tobacco duty and combating illicit cigarette trading activities should be regarded as complementary measures. The 10 short-term measures announced by the Government include the introduction of a duty stamp system in order to differentiate duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones. The Government will also amend the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) to require tobacco products being sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty need to be proved duty-paid, and to increase penalties for duty-not-paid tobacco. These measures will further enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement and combat illicit tobacco more effectively.

TACO will continue to carry out relevant enforcement operations, and follow up and investigate every complaint regarding smoking-product advertisements, as well as refer any suspected cases of illicit cigarettes that involve violations of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) to the relevant department for further investigation.

The spokesman reiterated that all smoking products, regardless of whether they are duty paid or not, pose significant health risks. Smokers should quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. Information on smoking cessation can also be obtained from www.livetobaccofree.hk.

DH continues to step up enforcement operation against illegally displayed smoking product advertisements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH continues to step up enforcement operation against illegally displayed smoking product advertisements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH continues to step up enforcement operation against illegally displayed smoking product advertisements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH continues to step up enforcement operation against illegally displayed smoking product advertisements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Update on cases of Legionnaires' disease

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (September 16) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, adding that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

From September 8 to 14, the CHP recorded three community-acquired LD cases:

A female patient, aged 60 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Tai Po District;

A male patient, aged 66 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Shatin District; and

A male patient, aged 68 with good past health, who lives in Yau Tsim Mong District.

"Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said.

As of September 14, 81 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2023 and 2022, there were 121 and 80 cases respectively.

"Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said.

Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may become infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.

Immunocompromised persons should:

Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;

Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices; and

If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

The public should observe the health advice below:

Observe personal hygiene;

Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;

Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;

If a fresh-water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;

Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;

Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;

Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and

When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

Wear gloves and a face mask;

Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;

Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;

Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and

Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

​​The public may visit the CHP'sLD page, theCode of Practice for Prevention of LDand theHousekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Managementof the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP'srisk-based strategyfor prevention and control of LD.

Source: AI-generated images