HONG KONG – Hong Kong's smoking prevalence fell from 10.2 percent in 2019 to 9.5 percent in 2021, marking the first time on record that the percentage dropped to single digits, the government announced Thursday.
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said that, based on a Census & Statistics Department survey, there were around 581,500 conventional cigarette smokers, accounting for 9.5 percent of people aged 15 or above.
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said that, based on a Census & Statistics Department survey, there were around 581,500 conventional cigarette smokers, accounting for 9.5 percent of people aged 15 or above
Each of these smokers consumed an average of 13 conventional cigarette sticks a day, Chan said in a press conference.
There were also about 17,500 daily smokers who consumed e-cigarettes, representing 0.3 percent of people aged 15 or above and a slight rise of 0.2 percent from 2019, she added.
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Chan emphasized that the government is determined to strengthen tobacco control measures to achieve the target of reducing the city's smoking prevalence to 7.8 percent by 2025.
She said it will focus on two aspects of work – preventing people from becoming smokers and smoking cessation.
“We would need to further protect our young people, women and also people who may be attracted to smoking, not to be attracted. I think this is one very important direction,” Chan said.
“Secondly, another direction is for us to further cut down the number of smokers now. How do we do that? It is to help them quit smoking,” she said.
“Riding on these two directions, if our policies and measures are successful, the smoking prevalence will go down,” she added.
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Meanwhile, in support of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the Department of Health has launched the Quit in June campaign to encourage smokers to quit smoking.
Smokers may also obtain a one-week trial pack of smoking cessation drugs for free at the clinics of designated non-governmental organisations.