Tam admits smoking lounge leeway

Alexis Tam speaks during yesterday’s meeting

Authorities have apparently relaxed their resolute tone in regard to the implementation of a full smoking ban in all indoor areas, in particular within casinos and the airport. With the draft bill having been passed by the Legislative Assembly (AL) on its first reading and now awaiting a vote on the final reading, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, told media yesterday that the authorities would keep an open mind about the final decision on whether casinos should be allowed to retain smoking lounges.
Tam explained after attending a meeting with the AL’s Second Standing Committee, convened to discuss the finalization of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Law amendment, that a public consultation on the matter is being undertaken as conducted by the AL. The government is willing to view the consultation result and consider it when deciding upon the next step in legislation.
“If the result really shows that the general public and the gaming practitioners all agree on setting up smoking rooms within casinos, and that the technical conditions can also ensure that second-
hand smoke doesn’t leak out, the MSAR government will invite the sector to give suggestions and discuss the standards for smoking room setups,” he explained.
“But during the discussion, we also need to learn about the practitioners’ acceptance level and whether they agree on the standard. If the practitioners also think it’s no problem, the MSAR government will be open to considering the next step of work. But right now, it’s still too early to say; we still need to see the public consultation result,” stressed the secretary.
Tam further stated the government’s liberalised stance wasn’t a compromise, but merely a more open-minded attitude. He reiterated that the legislative proposal to fully prohibit smoking within casinos was aimed at “protecting citizens and tourists’ health, and more importantly, protecting the health of gaming practitioners.”
During the AL’s committee meeting, some lawmakers also questioned the government representatives over the fate of smoking rooms that are currently set up in the airport and prison. In addition, some opposed the ban on electronic cigarettes.
“They pointed out that it is against the principle of fairness and the principle of free economy, and questioned why smoking lounges can be retained in the airport but not in other places,” said the Committee’s president, Chan Chak Mo.
In response, Alexis Tam said, “It’s an international trend to abolish smoking rooms in airports, and it has been embraced by airports such as Beijing and Shenzhen. It is expected that more airports will shut down their smoking rooms in the future.”