Diksia.com - Hong Kong Health Ministry chief Lo Chung-mau is urging the public to stare at people who dare to smoke in non-smoking areas.
The Independent reports that Lo Chung-mau’s plan is to discourage people from smoking in areas where smoking is prohibited.
“When people see people smoking in non-smoking areas, they just glare at the smokers, even if no police officers show up,” said Dr. Lo on Friday (07/14/2023) at the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
dr Lo said Hong Kong must foster a culture where “people are willing to obey the law.”
It added that there are plans to step up enforcement efforts to achieve this goal.
dr Lo answered the question about founding a tobacco-free city.
He wanted to show that the responsibility for catching smokers cannot lie solely with the police.
Hong Kong is currently in the process of strengthening anti-tobacco measures.
According to current regulations, smoking is prohibited in restaurants, at work, in public indoor areas and in certain public outdoor areas.
Hong Kong fines people who smoke in banned places up to HK$1,500 (2.8 million rupees).
The city is also considering raising cigarette taxes and introducing a ban that would ban people born after certain years from buying tobacco products.
“Nobody would say that there needs to be a law requiring people to queue at bus stops,” said Dr. Lo.
“Our society is capable of creating a culture where people play by the rules while waiting for the bus.”
“I hope that society as a whole can build a smoke-free culture.”
Earlier last week, the Hong Kong government officially presented a consultation proposal for a new anti-smoking strategy.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year.
“More than 7 million of these deaths are due to direct tobacco use, and another 1.2 million to second-hand smoke by non-smokers,” the WHO wrote on its website.
Mexico, a country that recently introduced a smoking ban
Mexico has completely banned smoking in all public places, including hotels and beaches, since early 2023.
Euro News reported that so far the smoking ban has only applied in public transport, bars, workplaces and restaurants.
But as of January 15, the Mexican government extended the law to all indoor and outdoor public spaces such as hotels, resorts, beaches, parks, and anywhere children are frequent guests.
The only legal places to smoke tobacco in Mexico are in private homes or private outdoor areas.
Mexico now has one of the strictest anti-tobacco laws in the world.
According to Reuters, tourists who smoke in public can face a fine of between $50 and $300.
Those who refuse to cooperate with the ban also face up to 36 hours in prison.
The regulations relating to e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes have also been tightened.
This device may not be imported, sold or used in any public place in Mexico.
Ban smoking everywhere else
Mexico isn’t the only country with strict smoking laws.
Similar restrictions are already in place in Ireland, Greece, Hungary and Malta.
Last year, Costa Rica also banned smoking in all public places, including bars, restaurants, and bus stops.
As a rule of thumb, if you expose other people to secondhand smoke, don’t smoke there.
But even though smoking in public is legal, many countries have specific areas where a person can be fined for smoking.
Some cities like Barcelona have also banned smoking on beaches to curb garbage pollution.
More than 100 of the country’s 3,514 beaches imposed the ban on July 1 last year, including the Costa del Sol and the Balearic Islands.
The popular French ski resort of Les Gets has also banned smoking in its common areas to prevent cigarette butts from polluting the environment.
Not only for cigarettes, in some countries there are also strict rules for e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Vaping in public places is illegal in Colombia and Iran.
Buying e-cigarettes is illegal in Turkey.
Possession of an e-cigarette is punishable by a US$2,000 fine in Singapore.
Australia requires a person to have a prescription for possession of e-cigarettes that contain nicotine.
Several countries have also banned e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes outright, including Argentina, Brazil and Nepal.
E-cigarettes have been banned in Qatar since 2014 and violating the law carries a fine of up to €2,467 or three months in prison.
Tourists who use e-cigarettes in Thailand also face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of 30,000 baht.
