british american tobacco hong kong - Youth smoking prevention

Preventing youth smoking in Hong Kong

British American Tobacco Hong Kong strongly believes children should not smoke. We view youth smoking as a critical issue in today's society, and we want to help ensure that only informed adults smoke.

In Hong Kong, the sale of cigarettes to people under 18 is illegal. We fully support improved enforcement of the law against sales to those under 18, and penalties for retailers who break the law. The Group's policy worldwide is not to market to anyone under 18 years old - or older, in countries where the law sets a higher age.

Youth smoking is a complex issue for society to address, with no simple solution. However, by harnessing the expertise and understanding of all interested parties - including government, retailers, parents, teachers and young people themselves - we hope to ensure that YSP programmes are accepted and successful.

To help ensure that only informed adults smoke, we are committed to programmes to tackle the issue, with the emphasis on education and access.

British American Tobacco Hong Kong's initiatives in youth smoking prevention

We see YSP programmes as having two primary objectives: preventing children from obtaining tobacco products and discouraging children from wanting to smoke.

Education

These programmes focus on helping educators, youth workers, and children themselves to teach children to exercise responsibility and independence and to resist negative peer pressure, including resisting pressure to smoke. Programmes are developed to involve parents, educators and governments and children themselves.

In Hong Kong, the education campaigns are run by other social and youth activity groups under the direction of the independent Committee on Youth Smoking Prevention, with funding from the tobacco industry in Hong Kong. The Committee's programmes include:

• School based services
• Community education programmes
• Sponsorship scheme
• Survey studies
• Advocacy and collaboration

For details, visit the website of the Committee on Youth Smoking Prevention. 

Retail Access Control

Retail access control programmes focus on restricting the sale of tobacco products to minors at the point of sale. They include proof-of-age schemes and teaching retailers about relevant laws and ways of preventing sales to minors.

We support retail access control programmes together with other tobacco companies and major Hong Kong retailers. They help educate retailers on how to refuse cigarette sales to people under 18. These programmes take place in collaboration with 7-eleven, Circle K, Daily Stop, ExxonMobil, Caltex Oil, Park'n Shop, the Hong Kong Newspaper Hawker Association and the Hong Kong Newspaper Vendor Alliance.

The programmes build upon legal minimum age requirements by seeking to eliminate tobacco product availability to minors at the point of sale.

Other promotion tools have also been used, such as warning stickers, paperweight rulers, caps and other mass communication materials.

Advertising

Advertising can play a vital role in communicating that youth should not smoke.

We have made use of conventional marketing channels to promote smoking prevention messages. Since March 2002, British American Tobacco Hong Kong replaced its branded sun umbrellas at outlets with those carrying youth smoking prevention messages.

Youth smoking is a societal issue that needs to be addressed in the broader context of adolescent behaviour and society in general.  We strive to limit the exposure of underage people, to the promotion and advertising of our brands and products.

All British American Tobacco Hong Kong promotional materials and point-of-sale marketing carries the "No Sales to Persons under 18"  message.