World No Tobacco Day 2021 – “Get Set．Go Smoke-free”

The World Health Organization (WHO) designates 31st May of each year as the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The theme of WNTD 2021 is “Commit to Quit” with an aim to encourage all smokers around the world to quit smoking immediately during the pandemic of COVID-19. To echo the World No Tobacco Day, Hong Kong Council of Smoking and Health (COSH) has launched a Smoke-free Publicity Programme with the theme of “Get Set．Go Smoke-free” and gather public support for “Smoke-free Sportswear Day” on 31 May by wearing sportswear and doing exercises, in order to encourage smokers to kick the habit as well as create a supportive social environment for smoking cessation.

Kick-off Ceremony

COSH collaborated with Commercial Radio Hong Kong (CRHK) to organize the “Get Set．Go Smoke-free” Kick-off ceremony in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 31 May 2021 (Monday). The event was officiated by Dr Constance CHAN (Director of Health), Dr Gilberto LEUNG (President of The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine), Dr Libby LEE (Director (Strategy and Planning) of Hospital Authority), Henry TONG (COSH Chairman), Dr Johnnie CHAN (COSH Vice-chairman) and Vienna LAI Wai-Yin (COSH Executive Director).

To call upon public support for “Smoke-free Sportswear Day” and promote a smoke-free healthy lifestyle, COSH also produced six radio appeals in collaboration with CRHK. The appeals were recorded by Prof Sophia CHAN (Secretary for Food and Health), Dr Constance CHAN (Director of Health), Mr Henry TONG (COSH Chairman), Artist Alex FONG, DJs Donald and Jim.

Listen to the radio appeal of Prof Sophia CHAN

Listen to the radio appeal of Dr Constance CHAN

Listen to the radio appeal of Henry TONG

Listen to the radio appeal of Alex FONG

Listen to the radio appeal of Donald

Listen to the radio appeal of Jim

Smoke-free Sportswear Day

To enhance public awareness on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), promote smoke-free messages, as well as encourage smokers to quit smoking by exercising, COSH organized the “Smoke-free Sportswear Day” on 31 May. Over 160 companies, organizations, non-governmental organizations, hospitals and schools supported the smoke-free publicity programme to encourage their employees, stakeholders, teachers, students and members to echo the event. Citizens supported by wearing sportswear and doing exercises, as well as motivating their smoking family and friends to refrain from smoking through exercises.

From 31 May to 30 June 2021, the top five supporting organizations with the highest number of participants joining “Smoke-free Sportswear Day” were awarded the “The Most Active Participation Award”. This year, two awards – “The Most Energetic Supporting Organization” and “The Most Creative Supporting Organization” were newly introduced in recognizing the unfailing support of two supporting organizations in promoting the Programme in energetic and creative ways.

The awardees of “The Most Active Participation Award” are (in alphabetical order):

Agnes English Kindergarten
Guideposts Kindergarten (Tuen Mun Branch)
Kowloon Bay St John The Baptist Catholic Primary School
SKH St James' Primary School
The Yuen Yuen Institute Chan Kwok Chiu Hing Tak Primary School

The awardee of “The Most Energetic Supporting Organization” is:

Hong Kong Central and Western Women Association

The awardee of “The Most Creative Supporting Organization” is:

Wong Chuk Hang Hospital

Click here to view the supporting organization list of for “Get Set．Go Smoke-free” Publicity Programme.

In addition, COSH launches a series of promotions to help smokers cope with withdrawal symptoms during cessation and encourage the public to support smokers kicking the habit. Health log was introduced to both smokers and non-smokers with tips to overcome tobacco cravings in seven days and ways to keep a smoke-free lifestyle. COSH also designed a variety of collaterals with official mascot “Wise Mike” such as posters, leaflet, stickers, hand-held fans, lemons, etc. for distribution at schools, companies and organizations to promote effective quit tips for smokers to overcome tobacco cravings.

Promotional truck and flash mob roadshow promotions

Roadshow promotions will be held in June 2021 across the territory to promote “Get Set．Go Smoke-free” Publicity Programme. Free fresh lemon, leaflets and smoke-free promotional collaterals will be distributed to encourage the public following Wise Mike on Instagram and Smoke-free Family Facebook Page. Smokers are motivated to quit smoking by doing exercise. Let’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and build a healthy lifestyle in joint hands!

Flash mob Lemon distribution

Date	Time	Location
2 June 2021	12:15pm	Wan Chai North Footbridge
	12:00pm	Theatre Lane, Central
	1:00pm	Pavement underneath Bridge at the junction between Haiphong Road and Kowloon Park Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui

Roadshows with Promotional Truck

Date	Time	Location
6 June 2021	11:00am - 1:30pm	Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay
6 June 2021	2:30pm - 5:00pm	Langham Place (Argyle Street exit), Mongkok
12 June 2021	11:00am - 1:30pm	Shatin Station Exit B
12 June 2021	2:30pm - 5:00pm	Tsuen Wan Market

*Street promotions may be rescheduled or cancelled subject to weather or unexpected situations without further notice.

WhatsApp/Signal Stickers

A set of WhatsApp/Signal stickers featuring the Smoke-free Ambassador, Wise Mike is also available for download now and sharing among families and friends.