mbreport SMOKING BAN 84
through restaurants more quickly. Fam- ilies will be more willing to bring their children when they dine out, boosting sales, and smokers who may have been prone to remain seated at a table while lighting up, will move on more quickly, freeing up tables. The issue for restaurant owners
is what to do if a customer refuses to stop smoking if they are asked to. The Health Bureau says restaurant own- ers should call the Tobacco Control Of ce or the police. The of ce says it will schedule more frequent checks on restaurants that have had more than ve smoking complaints.
Signifi cant exceptions The tobacco control law includes some signi cant exceptions. Most frequently highlighted is an exception for casinos. They are the only businesses in town allowed to set-up smoking areas that occupy up to half of their gaming oor. What is more, they will be exempt from the ban for 12 months. Bars, nightclubs, saunas and mas-
sage parlours will enjoy an even longer exemption period – three years. By the end of 2014, they too will have to comply with a full smoking ban without the luxury of designated smoking areas which casinos can install. Lawyer Leonel Alves, an indirectly
elected legislator who represents the professional services sector, supports the smoking ban, saying it promotes the overall health and well-being of the population. Mr Alves, who is also a legal
adviser for gaming operator Sands China Ltd., says the casino exception is a response to Macau’s own unique char- acteristics. “I hope these exemptions are transitory,” he says. Government-appointed legisla-
tor Tommy Lau Veng Seng believes the smoking ban can assure a “clean environment” for the general public. Adjustment might be hard at rst but, overall, he says it is a change that “is going to do a lot of good to public health and is a way to respect non- smokers”. Mr Lau admits the ban will be
dif cult to enforce, especially given the number of Chinese tourists coming to Macau every day. “For those who have come here before, they could smoke everywhere. And now? They have to adjust to the new system and may not be happy with it,” he says.
JANUARY 2012
EXPENSIVE ADDICTION S
mokers’ luck has run out. They face a widespread smoking ban and
increased prices for tobacco products, with a tax increase approved by the Legislative Assembly last month and already in force. The tax on a packet of 20 cigarettes
has increased 150 percent to MOP10 (US$1.25) from MOP4 before. The tax increase in cigars was more than 400 percent. The last increase in the tobacco tax
took place in 2009. The tax increase was approved
unanimously but some lawmakers expected a bigger hike. Directly-elected lawmaker Lee Chong Cheng ques- tioned the government’s commitment to reducing tobacco consumption among youths. Mr Lee, a member of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, asked for “more substantial” tax increases. Other legislators are concerned
with tobacco smuggling but secretary of economy and nance Francis Tam Pak Yuen pledged to reinforce border controls. In 2010, more than 650 cases of tobacco smuggling were detected. Mr Henry Lei Chun Kwok, an assist-
ant professor of business economics at the University of Macau, says the tax increase is steep enough. He wants the
tax matched by tighter regulation on duty free tobacco products to prevent smokers going across the border to supply themselves with cheaper ciga- rettes. “An increase in the tobacco tax
together with a signi cant cut on duty-free cigarette quotas is believed to be more effective than the current arrangement,” Mr Lei says. That is the model adopted by Hong
Kong. Besides charging a tobacco tax of HK$35 on each pack, duties must be paid by anyone entering the city with more than a full packet of cigarettes. The director-general of the Smok-
ing and Health Life Association, Samuel Chan says a tobacco tax increase in Macau should be more signi cant to have a real impact on the number of smokers. “According to World Health Organisation recommendations, the tax should be at least 75 percent of the retail price,” he says. The Health Bureau said “there are
several steps to encourage smokers to quit” and increasing the tobacco tax was one method. The bureau high- lights other new measures included in the tobacco control bill such as a ban on tobacco vending machines and tobacco-sponsored public events.
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