A publicity campaign entitled "I love smoke-free Hong Kong" to promote public awareness of the new smoking law will be carried out throughout the year, an official of the Department of Health said on Thursday.

The Deputy Director of Health, Ting-hung Leung, said that during the campaign, the Tobacco Control Office of the department would adopt a multi-pronged approach to publicize the new measures.

"Through the campaign, we hope to raise public awareness of the extension of the statutory smoking ban, to enhance self-discipline and compliance in statutory no-smoking areas and to create a harmonious environment for the implementation of the new legislation," he said.

The new law approved by the Legislative Council last Thursday aims to further protect the public from the harmful effect of second-hand smoking. Most indoor areas of workplaces and public places, such as restaurants, offices, markets, karaokes and bars which are frequented by people of different ages are required to ban smoking from Jan. 1, 2007.

Six types of "qualified establishments" - nightclubs, commercial bathhouses, massage establishments, mahjong parlors, designated mahjong rooms in clubs and certain bars - may implement the smoking ban by July 1, 2009.

Publicity activities include Announcements in Public Interest, advertisements in the media, roving exhibitions, and distribution of pamphlets. About 800 restaurant workers will wear Smoke-Free Ambassador badges and help to distribute pamphlets.

Workshops and seminars on the new no-smoking requirements will be organized for management and staff of various sectors, such as catering and tourism industries, hotel and building management.

A series of open days will be held from Sunday, with at least 200 restaurants participating that have until now permitted smoking. So far, just 800 restaurants out of 10,000 to 12,000 are smoke-free. Open days will be held on Nov. 29 and Dec. 29, hopefully with more restaurants taking part. The participating restaurants will display posters and no-smoking signs to remind clients of No Smoking Day.

Christine Wong Wang, senior medical and health officer of the department's Tobacco Control Office, said she would be recruiting 80 to 100 more inspectors to enforce the smoking ban, to supplement the existing 30 officers.

"They have the power to seize evidence and to initiate prosecutions. Smoking offenses only take about a few minutes so we cannot be there right away. So we will rely on the cooperation of smokers and front-line managers," Wang said.

Meanwhile, a survey of smokers and ex-smokers found out that more than half of the smokers said they would be more determined to give up because of the anti-smoking law.

The campaign will continue throughout the year with more intensified efforts before the new statutory requirements become effective on Jan. 1 next year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2006)