Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) has been organizing the “Quit to Win” Smoke-free Community Campaign since 2009 to promote smoking cessation in the community through cessation contests and smoke-free promotional activities, complemented by media promotion, cessation counselling and scientific research. This year instant messaging with AI technology was adopted to assist smokers to quit. Joined with various communities and a wide spectrum of industries, the Campaign aims to foster a social environment that is conducive to smoke-free lifestyle. In its 16th session, the Campaign received persistent support and participation from over 100 organizations, including government departments, public organizations, district councils, district health centers/express, community service organizations, as well as chambers and companies of various industries. Between June and October 2025, 75 recruitment sessions were held throughout the territory, alongside nearly 80 smoke-free promotional activities co-organized with district working partners, encouraging more than 1,300 smokers to take their first step towards quitting and conveying smoke-free messages to over 100,000 members of the public.
COSH held a prize presentation ceremony today (12 March) to award the winners and successful quitters of the 16th “Quit to Win” Contest and commend the enthusiastic support from all collaborating organizations. Honorable guests included Dr Ronald LAM Man-kin , JP (Director of Health), Mr Henry FAN Hung-ling, SBS, JP (Chairman, Hospital Authority), Mr CHAN Siu-hang (Assistant Commissioner (Operations), Correctional Services Department), Dr Manny LAM Man-chung (Head of Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office, Department of Health), Prof LAM Tai-hing, BBS, JP (Emeritus Professor, Honorary Clinical Professor of School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong), Mr Henry TONG Sau-chai, BBS, MH, JP (COSH Chairman), Dr Johnnie CHAN Chi-kau, SBS, BBS, JP (COSH Vice-chairman) and Ms Vienna LAI Wai-yin (COSH Executive Director). Guests from diverse sectors upheld the benefit of quitting smoking, and jointly called for public support to tobacco control, in order to achieve a smoke-free Hong Kong and enjoy a healthy life.
Over the years, the Campaign has partnered with a wide range of organizations to promote smoke-free messages across communities, sectors and media platforms, and has developed various interventions for smoking cessation counselling. Totally, more than 20,000 smokers were encouraged to take their first step to kick the habit. To enhance and expand the cessation support, the Campaign and the research team from The University of Hong Kong jointly developed an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot this year to provide 24-hour cessation advice to participants. Mr Henry TONG, COSH Chairman said, “The 16th “Quit to Win” Contest attracted over 1,320 smokers and achieved a self-reported quit rate of 27.9% at three-month follow-up. More than 760 participants were referred to various smoking cessation service providers for appropriate counselling. The Campaign, for the first time, integrated AI with instant messaging application to support quitting this year. Following the encouraging result from the Campaign, we look forward to the introduction of more innovative cessation interventions in future to further boost the successful quit rate.” He encouraged smokers to quit and reengage to a smoke-free and healthy lifestyle as soon as possible, in order to enjoy better health, more harmonious family life and a more positive life planning. He also called for the collaborative efforts from all sectors of the community to support tobacco control policies, including the legislation of plain packaging, duty stamp system for cigarettes and ban on flavoured tobacco products, to achieve a smoke-free Hong Kong as early as possible.
Dr LAM Man-kin, Ronald, Director of Health, extended his congratulations to the winners of the “Quit to Win” contest and those who have successfully quit smoking. Dr LAM remarked, “Over the past year, the Government and various sectors of the community have worked hand in hand in tobacco control. With the passage and implementation of the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, we have further enhanced the smoke-free environment and strengthened public health protection. This includes expanding no-smoking areas, prohibiting smoking while queuing for public transport, and increasing the fixed penalty for smoking offences to $3,000. The measures have been welcomed by the general public. From 1 January to 28 February 2026, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office conducted over 7,000 inspections and issued 1,291 Fixed Penalty Notices for smoking offences. The fine amount has been increased to $3,000 per notice in accordance with the new regulation. Among these, 16 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued within the expanded no-smoking areas and under the ban on smoking while queuing. This reflects the effectiveness of the new tobacco control measures. Starting 30 April this year, Hong Kong will prohibit the possession of specified alternative smoking products, including electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, in public places. Plain packaging standardizes the design of conventional tobacco packs, with the aim of eliminating packaging as a tool to induce purchase and use. Scientific evidence and overseas experience have shown that this measure effectively reduces smoking prevalence, diminishes the appeal of smoking products, strengthens the intention to quit and helps prevent youth smoking. Plain packaging has already been successfully implemented in around 25 countries and regions. In addition, the Government will introduce a duty stamp system to enhance efforts against illicit cigarettes and cheap whites. The detailed implementation arrangements will be followed up by the Customs. To support individuals who wish to quit smoking, the Department of Health, together with the Hospital Authority, non-governmental organizations, and professional bodies, continues to expand diverse smoking cessation services. I urge smokers who are still hesitating or have yet to succeed to call 24-hour smoking cessation hotline 1833 183, and let the professional team walk alongside you”
Mr Frankie CHOI, Champion of the 12th “Quit to Win” Contest, served as emcee at the ceremony and shared the benefits of quitting smoking. Artists Ms Sonija KWOK and Mr Jimmy AU also took part in the event, using games and performances to remind the public of the harms of smoking and to introduce the free smoking cessation services in Hong Kong, and encouraging smokers to embark on a smoke-free new life. In addition, the winners of the 16th “Quit to Win” Contest shared their own quitting journeys and insights, while other successful participants and past awardees of the Contest also attended to celebrate the joy of living smoke-free.
Mr WONG Sung-hei, champion of the 16th “Quit to Win” Contest, started smoking at 17 under the influence of peers and the prevailing social culture, and his dependence deepened over time due to emotional stress, work pressure and frequent social engagements. He once suffered a pneumothorax and stopped smoking briefly, but relapsed soon afterwards. Although he would take shower immediately on returning home and wash his clothes separately, he still often quarrelled with his wife over the impact of secondhand and third-hand smoke. His quit attempt was prompted by his child and his plan to become a full-time father. The passing of his father, a long-term smoker who died of cancer last year, also led him to resolve to change for the sake of his own health and that of his loved ones. After encountering a “Quit to Win” recruitment booth in a shopping mall, he was inspired to make a healthy home environment as his son’s first birthday gift and enrolled in the contest. In the early stage of quitting, he experienced withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, hand tremors and sweating, with particularly strong cravings during the first two weeks. By constantly reminding himself not to give up, shifting his attention with chewing gum, menthol nasal spray, cycling and push-ups, and with unwavering encouragement from his wife, he finally overcame his addiction. Since quitting, Mr WONG no longer becomes short of breath when playing football, and his sense of taste and smell has clearly improved. Most importantly, he no longer needs to worry about exposing his child to secondhand or third-hand smoke or repeatedly leaving the dining table for a cigarette, allowing him to focus on his family and enjoy more joyful and healthy moments together.
First runner-up, Mr CHAK Yiu-fai, Lawrence had smoked for more than 30 years. He once managed to quit for three years in order to improve his sports performance, but eventually relapsed under work pressure. Last year, he suffered heatstroke at work and was sent to hospital, where an examination revealed a shadow on his lung and the doctor urged him to quit smoking as soon as possible. Concerned about the risk of serious illness and cancer, especially in light of his family medical history, he again resolved to give up smoking. Newly married at the time, he did not want smoking to endanger his health or even his life and thereby jeopardize his wife’s lifelong happiness, and therefore enrolled to quit once and for all. Mr CHAK regarded this quit attempt as a life-or-death turning point. Once he had made up his mind, he immediately discarded all his cigarettes and lighters and firmly rejected any invitations to smoke from people around him. After successfully quitting, he felt a marked improvement in his energy levels and found breathing much easier. His loud snoring during sleep, which had long been a source of complaint from his wife, has significantly diminished, and both of them now enjoy better sleep quality. Even more encouragingly, the shadow on his lung has almost disappeared, so he no longer needs to worry about potential health risks. His wife is also delighted that there is no longer any smell of secondhand smoke at home, and that the substantial savings on cigarette expenses have made their newly married life even happier and more fulfilling.
Second runner-up, Mr LO Wing-shing started smoking at the age of nine. After entering the workforce, his nicotine dependence became increasingly severe under the entrenched smoking culture of the construction industry. He was, at his peak, smoking up to two packs of cigarettes a day. Last year, a medical check-up revealed excessively high cholesterol levels, and his doctor advised him to quit smoking. When his daughter learned of this, she expressed the hope that he could improve his health and spend more years by her side. Deeply moved by her words, and in view of the rising cost of cigarettes and the construction sector’s growing emphasis on smoke-free and safe working environments, he found smoking inconvenient and socially unaccepted, and hence resolved to quit smoking. On several occasions when he nearly succumbed to cravings, the Campaign’s AI chatbot sent him timely messages reminding him of his quit-smoking goals and encouraging him to stay true to his original intention. He also proactively asked the chatbot how to decline offers of cigarettes and cope with cravings, and adopted strategies such as deep breathing and drinking more water, ultimately freeing himself from nicotine addiction. Since successfully quitting, his previous bouts of coughing have been greatly reduced, and both his appearance and body odour have improved. Moreover, the time and money saved from no longer smoking now allow him to dine out with his family more often and enjoy more generous meals together.
Merit awards were awarded to Mr NG Kuen-chun and Ms SUEN Hiu-tung, Anita. Mr NG began smoking in secondary school and used cigarettes to cope with stress. His partner strongly disliked secondhand smoke, and after they started living together last year, recurring disputes over his smoking led her to nominate him for the Contest. For the sake of their relationship and future marriage plans, he followed the coping strategies suggested by the Campaign’s AI chatbot and, with his partner’s full support, successfully quit and resumed a smoke-free, healthy life. Ms SUEN started smoking at a young age under the influence of friends and gradually became addicted, despite initially believing that occasional social smoking would be harmless. Observing her family dog’s sensitivity to secondhand and third-hand smoke, together with her younger brother’s frequent reminders as a doctor about the hazards of smoking, motivated her to quit. After learning about the Contest online, she enrolled and deliberately avoided smoking environments, and actively sought information on cessation, realizing that the brief pleasure of smoking was merely an illusion created by nicotine dependence. Since quitting, she feels more energetic and has become significantly more health-conscious.
COSH thanked the District Councils, district working partners and various organizations for their joint efforts in promoting the smoke-free community concept.
The winners of 16th “Quit to Win” Contest: Mr NG Kuen-chun (Merit) (second to the left), Mr LO Wing-shing (second runner-up) (fifth to the left), Mr CHAK Yiu-fai, Lawrence (first runner-up) (sixth to the left), Mr WONG Sung-hei (champion) (seventh to the right), and Ms SUEN Hiu-tung, Anita (Merit) (second to the right) shared their inspiring quit stories and tips with the audience.
Successful quitters and previous winners from “Quit to Win” Contests attended the ceremony, to share and witness the joys of smoke-free healthy lifestyle.