The government-appointed Central District Community Service Consultative Council held its monthly regular meeting yesterday, where various concerns were raised, including issues such as residents’ mental health and smoking problems.
The first part of the meeting was open to the media, during which committee members raised various issues in their speeches. The meeting then proceeded behind closed doors. It included Lam Chong, who heads the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Tobacco and Alcohol Prevention and Control Office, who briefed the councillors on the enforcement effectiveness of both the Tobacco Control Law and Alcohol Control Law since their implementation.
The two hour-and-45 minute meeting was held at the Patane Activity Centre on Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti (爹美刁施拿地大馬路).
In the first part of the meeting, deputy coordinator Chang Ka Wa emphasised the need to promote public awareness of mental health.
According to Chang, under the government’s initiative to build a “Happy Macao,” multiple recreational and diversified activities could be provided to care for residents’ physical and mental well-being. To enhance children’s growth environment, the government should set up parent-child reading corners, such as a storytelling pavilion in the sitting-out area in Praça de Ponte e Horta (司打口休憩區), Chang said.
Meanwhile, fellow councillor Lei Kit Ian pointed out the increasing ease with which young people purchase e-cigarettes online, as well as cases of e-cigarettes being mixed with prohibited substances or even drugs. Lei said he had received feedback from residents that smoking near parks and other leisure areas is common, exposing children playing nearby to second-hand smoke. He suggested setting up designated smoking zones in these areas to protect minors’ health.
In a post-meeting summary, the council’s deputy convenor Pui Seng In cited the Health Bureau’s statement that the authorities continue to enforce tobacco and alcohol control efforts across five key areas: public awareness campaigns, sales restrictions, community engagement, healthcare services, and inspection and enforcement. Pui also mentioned that last year, the authorities carried out 259,000 inspections of various venues, received 1,552 tobacco control-related cases through hotline calls, and handled 270 alcohol control-related cases.
Fellow councillor Leong Kim Kio added that as of last year, a total of 3,911 individuals had received treatment and evaluation at smoking cessation clinics across various health centres. The Health Bureau will continue to intensify public awareness campaigns on smoking cessation services and enhance young people’s understanding of the dangers of alcohol, Leong said.
Central District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convenor Pui Seng In (left) and fellow councillor Leong Kim Kio pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Patane Activity Centre on Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti yesterday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
