Hong Kong urges public to give ‘disapproving’ looks to smokers to curb tobacco menace

In a bid to create a tobacco-free city, Hong Kongers have been urged by the administration to "stare" at smokers disapprovingly to guilt them into giving up smoking in public areas. Hong Kong's health secretary, Professor Lo, told a meeting of the Legislative Council's health service panel on Friday that smokers are unlikely to "hit back" if everyone stares at them.

"Hong Kong can help build a non-smoking culture through stares of disapproval directed at smokers," the health minister was quoted as saying by the country's English daily, South China Morning Post.

"Cigarettes can harm the health of all of us," Lo said. "When the public sees people smoking in non-smoking areas, even if no law enforcement officers can show up immediately, we can stare at the smokers."

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"If someone pulls out a cigarette at a restaurant, the public on the premises should stare at them… I don't believe they will hit back as people are simply staring," he added.

The move comes as Hong Kong last week launched a public consultation exercise to build stricter anti-smoking rules.

While the administration promised to strengthen legal measures to tackle the problem, they demanded public cooperation in the matter.

Lo explained public intervention in this manner may help, as law enforcement officers might not always be able to intervene immediately at the scene of a crime since smoking may have already stopped by then.

“…No one will say it requires the law to compel people to queue at a bus stop. But through culture, the people comply with this rule while waiting for buses… similarly, we can build a non-smoking culture," SCMP quoted him as saying.

Hong Kong imposes penalties of HK$1,500 for breaching the non-smoking rules in prohibited areas such as restaurants and workplaces, etc. However, the city has been recently struggling to enforce this rule and curb instances of non-compliance, SCMP said.

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