Problem Caused by Anti-Smoking Legislation in Hong Kong

Title Analyse the problems caused by the murder of anti- green goddess rule in Hong Kong. Identify whatsoever solutions to these problems. dissever 1 In recent years many countries dedicate enacted anti-smoking legislation. For example, on 1 January 2007 Hong Kong panoptic no smoking areas to cover the inside of restaurants, as well as offices and virtually public outdoor areas (Tobacco control, 2007).While these laws have been largely welcomed by both wellness advocates and the general population, they have had well-nigh unintended consequences including an increase in prat litter and congestion in areas where smokers congregate, and a decrease in working readiness in workplaces with signifi put forwardt numbers of smokers. This essay depart examine these effects in more detail before considering some possible solutions. dissever 2 One of the outcomes of preventing office and shop workers from smoking in offices and shopping centres is that smokers are more likely to gat her on pavements in the area near the entrance to the office building or mall.The assembly of these smokers has produced an increase in litter, with waste such as cigarette butts and packaging often discarded on the drive mien. Novotny and Zhao (1999) argue that this litter is apparently observable, may remain in the environment for a long season and might be hazardous to new-fangled children and animals if ingested. Given the densely jam-packed office environment in the central discardk line district of Hong Kong, it is apparent that the litter problem from smokers who smoke outside can be quite an serious. Paragraph 3As well as the littering problem, groups smoking on pavements can locate a physical danger to young children. Nakahara (2005) mentions that children are often at a height where they can be good struck by smokers holding lit cigarettes. As the head of the child is often totally at leg level to the adult smoker, the burning cigarette could easily harm the eye or other facial features of the child. It is suggested by Nakahara (ibid) that street smoking has become more widespread after stricter smoking legislation began to be enforced.In the crowded urban parts of Hong Kong, such as in Mongkok and Causeway Bay, even if there are only a short proportion of pedestrians smoking, this would still generate a hazard to young children. Paragraph 4 Besides the outdoor effects of smoking legislation, those companies operating in Hong Kong who employ smokers have also probably suffered. Considering the USA,Halpern, Shikiar, Rentz and Khan(2001) find that smokers have appreciably more absences from work than those who have never smoked.The reason for this is believed to be due to increased rates of sickness among smokers. It could also be speculated that as smokers are more likely to take extended breaks than non-smokers, this would precipitate come on reductions in working efficiency in offices with many smokers. As business is very important in the Hong Kong economy, maintaining a high working efficiency is vital to Hong Kong competitiveness. Paragraph 5 Regarding the first problem of increased littering, there are four possible methods to counter this issue.According to Bitgood, Carnes and Thompson (1988), these are environmental education, suggestion, environmental design and punishment. Environmental education would include TV campaigns against littering, while prompting would mean signage outside offices reminding smokers non to litter. Environmental design would mean modify design of cigarette bins, and punishment means fines. A combination of these methods, unneurotic with increased frequency of visits by cleaners, would plausibly be the most impelling solution to littering, and this already happens in Hong Kong (Clean Hong Kong, 2012).Paragraph 6 The physical risk caused by smokers in public areas to young children can perhaps be figure out by the establishment of smoking zones. While in Hong Kong, universitie s are purportedly smoke free, in the United States there are moves by some universities to have areas where smoking is allowed (Ryman, 2010). Although the presence of these smoking zones is common in airports, the design by universities in America would be for outdoor zones so this could exact to opposition by some non smokers.AsKennedy et al. (2012) observe, in countries where restrictions have been placed on indoor smoking, thereby prompting greater outdoor smoking, a bulk of interviewees now support outdoor smoking limits in certain settings. Paragraph 7 Finally, the issue of working efficiency has also begun to be communicate in the United States, with certain employers, for the most part health apprehension facilities, now actively not employing those applicants who state that they smoke on the industriousness form.Koch (2012) points out that while a tobacco-free recruiting procedure is intended to endorse health and decrease insurance costs, these polices of discriminati on against smokers might have unintended repercussions with smokers contact punished rather than encouraged to quit smoking. As a result, some States in America have started passing laws forbidding the discrimination in the workplace of smokers (Summary of District of Columbia Laws, 2010), although in Hong Kong this is not currently interdict under the labour ordinance (Labour Department, 2012).Paragraph 8 This essay has examined the problems created by the ban on smoking in offices and many indoor public venues in recent years. These problems include a deteriorating litter problem, a danger to young children from lit cigarettes and decreased working efficiency among smokers. Solutions that were considered include intensifying and change litter prevention schemes, establishing smoke free zones and implementing legislation to prevent smokers from organism employed. Paragraph 9It is the belief of this writer that while the anti-smoking legislation was welcome, there was not enough thought regarding the consequences of this legitimation before it was implemented. While remedial measures can be introduced to partially solve some of these problems, the only certain way to eliminate these problems is to further reduce the number of smokers. For this to happen, it is likely that further legalisation which further restricts the advertising, sale, and consumption of tobacco is needed by the Hong Kong Government.