World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence

Message from Director of Health

The Department of Health has spared no effort on tobacco control over the years. Since the enactment of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance in 1982, we have adopted a progressive and multipronged approach to combat the tobacco epidemic. Through legislation, taxation, publicity, education, law enforcement and promotion of smoking cessation services, we have actively contained the proliferation of tobacco use and minimized the effects of passive smoking on public health. The prevalence of daily smokers aged 15 or above has dropped by half from 23.3% in 1982 to 11.1% in 2010.

To further consolidate the tobacco control work, in particular smoking cessation, the Tobacco Control Office of Department of Health was designated by World Health Organization (WHO) as the “Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence” in April 2012. The Centre serves as a regional hub to support smoking cessation trainings in particular helping other Members States of the Western Pacific Region. From 2011 to 2012, Tobacco Control Office has trained up more than 100 healthcare personnel from Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China and we have opened our doors to friends from Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. We are delighted to learn from our graduates that the training courses greatly enhanced their skills, confidence and readiness in providing treatment to smoke quitters. In the coming years, we will continue to share our experience in smoking cessation. I hope that through this platform, we can unite tobacco control advocates in the Region and join hands in hands to curb this epidemic.