Are 'Uncomfortable Stares' the Secret Weapon to Combat Smoking?

Smokers in Hong Kong might soon feel extremely uncomfortable while smoking in public places, as a new proposal suggests that locals should stare at them when they use tobacco products in smoke-free zones. The idea was put forward by Lo Chung-Mau, the Secretary for Health in Hong Kong, along with a professor from Hong Kong University.

Controversial Strategy to Make Smokers Uncomfortable in Hong Kong Sparks Debate

During a meeting on health services, Lo explained that cigarettes harm everyone, not just the person smoking. He said that even if law enforcement officers aren't around, members of the public can give smokers intense stares when they catch them puffing away in non-smoking areas. According to Lo, if someone pulls out a cigarette in a restaurant, everyone present should stare at them, making it uncomfortable for the smoker. Lo hopes that this staring strategy, along with penalties imposed by law enforcement, will make smoking socially unacceptable.

Uncomfortable Stares: Hong Kong's Radical Plan to Shame Smokers and Crush Cigarette Addiction

There have been various initiatives to reduce smoking among the people of Hong Kong, resulting in a significant decrease in smoking rates. Since 2007, smoking has been banned in all public indoor places, and it has gradually been prohibited in public transport terminals as well, as mentioned in a summary of the recent Legislative Council meeting.

According to a government health and community press release in 2022, only 9.5% of the population in Hong Kong still smoked in 2021. While this is a considerable improvement compared to the nearly 25% of smokers in the 1980s, it falls short of the government's target of reducing the smoking rate to only 7.8% by 2025 (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
"Asia is now the priority target for the world anti-tobacco movement": attempts by the tobacco industry to undermine the Asian anti-smoking movement

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To achieve this goal, several other measures were proposed during the meeting. These include creating designated smoking areas and enhancing public education about the risks associated with smoking.

Reference:

1. "Asia is now the priority target for the world anti-tobacco movement": attempts by the tobacco industry to undermine the Asian anti-smoking movement - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1766155/pdf/v013p0ii30.pdf)

Source-Medindia