Health Bureau hopes to decrease young smokers

The Health Bureau is carrying out several policies and measures to prevent the number of people smoking, including imposing a smoking ban in major areas where young populations often visit, said the Bureau’s director, Lei Chin Ion, in his reply to the interpellation of unionist legislator, Ella Lei Cheng I.
According to the data provided by the Bureau, the tobacco consumption rate by teenagers aged 13 to 15 recorded a decrease of 3.4 percentage points to 6.1 per cent for 2015, compared to 9.5 per cent registered in 2010.
The health department claimed it has been emphasizing harmfulness of smoking in local education entities in co-operation with the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau. In addition, it has set up a Tobacco Control Resource Centre at the Health Centre in Areia Preta.
The Health Bureau also quoted the data gathered by the Statistics and Census Bureau, saying the tobacco consumption rate of population aged 15 to 29 was 10.7 per cent for 2015, which dropped by 1.8 percentage points when compared to the rate in 2011.