mbreport SMOKING BAN 88
not been ruled out in the long term. The tobacco control law states the Health Bureau has to issue a report every three years evaluating on the enforcement of the new rules and its impact on casinos. Changes can be proposed.
Workers aligned The director-general
of Smok-
ing and Health Life Association, Samuel Chan, says the solution that satis es the casino operators’ interests is unsatisfactory for their staff. He also doubts whether the ventilation systems in most casi- nos will be able to successfully ex- tract the smoke generated in smok- ing areas. Pessimistic about the ex-
emption enjoyed by casinos, Mr Chan’s association plans to carry out a survey among gamblers to get their views. The president of Macau Gam-
ing Industry Employees Associa- tion João Bosco Cheang Hong Lok agrees with the compromise ban. “I agree, because most of the
customers, especially big ones, have smoking habits,” says Mr
Cheang, the head of the terri- tory’s biggest casino workers union. He believes most casino
employees also agree with the partial ban but hope for a full prohibition in the future. A 2009 research report
backs his claim. It concluded that most casino workers support a hybrid ban that establishes smoking and non- smoking areas. The study, by Penny Wan,
from the University of Macau and Paul Pilkington, from the University of the West of Eng- land, interviewed 377 workers face-to-face and the major- ity – 54 percent – favoured a mixture of smoking and non- smoking customer areas. The study also found that
42 percent and 40 percent of the casino workers reported being “nearly always ex- posed” and “often exposed” to second-hand smoke at work, respectively. Also, 49 percent rated the intensity of their exposure as “heavy”.
RESIGNED TO CHANGE B
Some Hong Kong club owners and restaurateurs still wish for a time before the ban, when premises had both smoking and non-smoking areas
ars, nightclubs, saunas and massage parlours need only worry about implementing the smoking ban in three years’ time. Even so, industry
players are hoping for changes before 2015. Paolo Cheng owns Mugs Talk bar in the Praia Grande area. He accepts
the ban with resignation, believing it will have a negative effect on revenue. “My personal opinion is that it will be dif cult to follow these instructions,” he says. Mr Cheng will for now wait and see what happens over the next three
years. “Now, in Mugs, people can still smoke. I have a bit more time to ar- range everything, I will have to adjust,” he says. Looking ahead, to 2015, Mr Cheng admits he will eventually have to
ask clients to smoke outside. He is afraid that may displease some cus- tomers – a signi cant part of his clientele smokes. “I think about the pos- sibility of arranging outside areas for ashtrays. Maybe they can sit outside just for the cigarettes.” Francisco Coelho, owner of nightclubs D2, D3, Playmate and the Jai
Alai Show Palace, is concerned about the impact the smoking ban will have on clubs and discos. He would much rather set up indoor smoking areas, just as the casinos will be permitted to do. Mr Coelho says his venues will be ready to comply with the law by 2015.
The full ban is likely to hurt his business in the beginning but business will normalise within two years, he says. Sky 21 Bar & Restaurant, at AIA Tower, of cially re-opened last month
and is ready to comply with the new tobacco control law. Spokesperson Joe Saree Xongmixay explains all indoor areas are non-smoking. “We will not en- courage or advise customers to smoke and if they smoke within our premises we will ask them not to,” he says. “We want to promote a [healthy] lifestyle.” An alternative might be to light up on the Sky 21 terrace.
JANUARY 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116