In 2019, one in ten local Macau residents aged above 15 years was a smoker, a report by the Health Bureau (SSM) has recently pointed out.
The SSM has conducted follow-up studies and evaluations on the Law on Prevention and Control of Smoking, also known as the Smoking Control Law, and has compiled a report.
While one in five men smoke, only 2.4% of females (or one in 40) smoke.
The authority compared the size of the smoking population in 2011, which was before the enactment of the law, to that of 2019. In 2011, about 17% of the population aged above 15 years of age smoked. The absolute drop was about 5% and the relative drop was 33.7%.
It was noted that the local relative drop fits the target set by the WHO for achieving a relative drop of 30% in smoking population by the year 2025.
However, certain areas remain of concern to the SSM, including young people smoking e-cigarettes, the online sale of cigarette products and smoking on sidewalks while walking, among other issues.
In order to combat these problems, the authority recommends that imports of e-cigarettes be banned, so as to further restrain the popularity of the product. An increase of the tobacco tax has also been proposed to achieve proximity to the level proposed by the WHO, despite the causal economic relationship between taxation levels and rates of quitting smoking being unproven.
The SSM has also interviewed an undisclosed number of casino workers about their perception of air quality in casinos. The report pointed out that more than 90% of the interviewees rated the air quality as good, very good or excellent.
As for air quality in VIP casinos or junkets, nearly 70% of the interviewees gave the same rating.
All air samples collected by the SSM have met standards for government air quality in general public venues, the SSM added.
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