Hong Kong has over 3.7 million working population. Employees are important assets and their work performance carries weight in enterprises’ successes as well as Hong Kong’s sustainable development. Many companies highly value the well-being of their employees and incorporate the smoke-free policy into their corporate culture.

Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health organized the Hong Kong Smoke-free Leading Company Awards with the aims to recognize businesses which promote smoke-free messages and smoking cessation to their employees. The Awards received overwhelming responses from companies of different industries.

Successful advocacy of smoke-free culture relies on the continuing implementation of smoke-free measures as well as regular reviews and assessments. Companies can first understand their employees’ smoking habits to plan the most appropriate smoke-free policy. They can also partner with smoking cessation service providers to offer health talk, body check or smoking cessation counselling for their employees.

To establish a smoke-free culture, companies can focus on the following areas:

Encouraging employees to quit smoking and live a healthy lifestyle.

To promote smoke-free culture successfully, companies should first understand their employees’ smoking habits to design the most appropriate smoke-free policies.

In order to understand the smoking habit and causes of smoking of our staff efficiently, Bossini Enterprises Limited has conducted surveys to obtain first-hand data.

Some employees believe in the myth that smoking can help relieve work stress. Companies can organize health talk to rectify the misunderstandings. Or they can provide healthy snacks to help employees fight against the smoking temptation.

We have designated the third day of our Work-Life Balance Week as a smoke-free day, and offered healthy snacks at the workspace to keep the employees away from smoking.

Companies can demonstrate their support by organizing creative smoking cessation activities for employees.

Sime Darby Motor Group (HK) Limited allows employees to attend the smoking cessation workshop held by smoking cessation services providers during work hours, which is a great support for them to kick the habit.

The Awards also received applications from SMEs. The management’s initiative and support are crucial for successful implementation of smoke-free policy.

SMEs should not give up implementing smoke-free measures despite a small workforce. The close interaction between the management and employees of SMEs results in more efficient and effective smoke-free measures.

Promote the smoke-free culture to other stakeholders.

Companies can demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility by promoting smoke-free culture to other stakeholders.

Apart from putting effort on the software, companies can also work on the hardware.

The traditional no smoking sign is not able to get the attention from the children and parents. To raise awareness, we have designed a colourful no-smoking sign to encourage parents to live a smoke-free lifestyle for their next generation.

Public events were organized to educate the general public on the hazards of smoking.

The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited set up game booths to promote smoke-free messages and encourage smoking cessation in the Health, Safety and Environment Day. We hope that all participants can get the smoke-free messages through our game booths.

Online social platforms is a low-cost and yet highly effective way to promote the smoke-free culture to the general public.

Through our online platform, Baby-Kingdom.com Limited has initiated a variety of discussion to remind our users about the hazards of smoking, and we tried to understand the smoking habits of the users through online polling.

Sustainable smoke-free workplace policy

This company urges its employees to strike a balance between health, family and career and integrates the concept of “Three-Balance” into its corporate culture.

Under the concept of “Three-Balance”, Lee Kum Kee Company Limited creates a happy working environment for employees. We have offered health talks, body checks, monthly birthday parties as well as treats of fruit and herbal teas to help employees relieve their work stress and stay away from tobacco.

Establishing a designated team to implement and evaluate the smoke-free policy regularly can keep its policy up-to-date.

Kwai Chung Hospital has promoted smoke-free culture to all stakeholders so as to attain the zero smoking prevalence and establish a total smoke-free hospital.

Creative Smoke-free Policies

Companies can apply their creativity to plan and execute effective smoke-free measures without using enormous resources.

Belle International Holdings Limited has organized a “Smoke-free Logo Design Competition” We are in the fashion industry with lots of employees gifted in design. The employees’ enthusiastic participation and an adjudicator panel composed of senior management make it an event of corporate solidarity.

Enterprises play a significant role in promoting a smoke-free Hong Kong. With full participation of every enterprise, the vision of a smoke-free Hong Kong will come to reality.

I appeal to enterprises of all industries to care the health of their employees, support the smoke-free culture and encourage smoking cessation for a smoke-free Hong Kong.

Bossini Enterprises Limited supports the smoke-free company culture!

Everyone loves smoke-free workplaces!

Let’s support the smoke-free company culture together!

We support smoke-free workplaces!

ARA Asset Management (Fortune) Limited supports the smoke-free culture!

Live a healthy lifestyle at smoke-free workplaces every day!

Everyone loves smoke-free workplaces!

Let’s promote and support a smoke-free Hong Kong!

We work efficiently and happily at smoke-free workplaces!

Belle International Holdings Limited supports the smoke-free company culture!