To protect public health and promote smoke-free culture, Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health has organized the Hong Kong Smoke-free Leading Company Awards 2016 together with Occupational Safety and Health Council to encourage businesses to disseminate smoke-free messages. The Awards received overwhelming response with over 480 applications, benefiting more than 65,000 employees from different companies and organizations.

This year, 13 companies received the Gold Award, three of them got the Triple Gold Award in recognition of their continuous commitment to implementing smoke-free measures.

They are:

ARA Asset Management (Fortune) Limited

The success of implementing smoke-free policies is attributed to the concerted efforts and support from our colleagues.

ARA’s Smoke-free Culture Action Committee constantly reviews company's smoke-free policies.

We also organize various exhibitions and competitions, such as slogan competition on a regular basis to spread smoke-free messages to the mass public.

CITIC Securities International Company Limited

Employees in the financial service industry are under heavy pressure and have long working hours.

A Well-being Programme has been launched 

to promote work-life balance through a variety of activities, including hiking, health talks, yoga classes and fruit day.

We hope to help our staff relieve stress and replace smoking with healthy activities. 

Kwai Chung Hospital

Kwai Chung Hospital set up the anti-smoking workgroup.

An annual smoke-free promotion event is organized to raise our patients and staff's awareness on smoking hazards. Kwai Chung Hospital is dedicated to developing and maintaining a healthy and happy smoke-free environment.

One of the Gold Award winners, Build King Holdings Limited is also awarded the Most Creative Smoke-free Policy Award in recognition of its innovative initiatives.

With the support from our management, we have introduced a smoking cessation award scheme which provides a platform and incentives for colleagues to kick the habit.

Quitters are rewarded with prizes. The incentives will be more attractive if they stop smoking for a longer period.

Cigarette butt collection boxes with threatening pictures and warnings are also placed at the smoking area of sites.

We believe that smoke-free culture can effectively enhance the professional image of the construction industry.

Other Gold Award winners are committed to promoting smoke-free culture through organizing diversified smoke-free activities.

A multi-pronged approach should be used to promote smoking cessation among young staff in the retail industry.

We promote the benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle and enhance physical and mental well-being of our employees through mindfulness yoga, which helps reduce smokers’ tobacco addiction and strengthen their determination to quit smoking.

More than 100 staff participated and they became more health conscious.

As a Small and Medium Enterprise, we can promote a smoke-free workplace and unite the force of SMEs to advocate a smoke-free culture, as well as encourage our employees to spread the smoke-free messages to their families and friends.

The majority of our staff are seniors and some have been smoking for more than two decades.

They are more receptive to a soft approach and are more eager and determined to quit smoking for the reason of protecting their family and children’s health. This approach is effective in encouraging smoking cessation among them.

A supportive atmosphere for smoking cessation can strengthen smokers’ determination to quit. 

Some Gold Award winners motivate their non-smoking staff to support smokers to kick the habit.

We considered a gimmick event to echo the World No Tobacco Day which can boost staff participation.

“A Candy for a Cigarette” event was organized to encourage smokers to enjoy the lollipops provided by the company and replace smoking.  

Non-smoking staff were eager to share their lollipops with smoking co-workers to show their care and support.

We hope to support and motivate our employees to quit smoking.

There are successfully quitters in the smoking cessation support group smoking who will share their experience, quit tips and the benefits of smoking cessation such as better relationship with their families.

The group is effective in encouraging the smokers to kick the habit.

The specially designed cigarette pack is innovative.

It is initiated by our non-smoking staff. Supportive messages are written on the pack to help strengthen quitters’ determination.

This measure has achieved our goal and proved to be effective.

The Gold Award winners also promote smoke-free messages to their stakeholders and the general public through various ways and networks.

Correctional Services Department is concerned about the physical and mental health of our staff and strives to provide a healthy working environment.

On 1 January 2013, Tung Tau Correctional Institution was officially designated as a no-smoking correctional facility. It is the first no-smoking adult correctional facility in Hong Kong.

We actively promote smoke-free culture through publicity, education and encouragement.

LINK offers venues for setting up “Quit to Win” recruitment booths at its 10 million sq ft retail properties.

The smoking cessation contest reached all walks of life through LINK’s extensive district network across the territory and successfully mobilized over 500 smokers to join in a few months. The results were encouraging.

Over the past two years, the Retail Department of The Hong Kong Jockey Club disseminated smoke-free messages among the general public at its off-course betting branches.

Through multiple channels and media, we promote the benefits of smoking cessation and successfully raise public awareness.

We hope to improve the environment of the community.

The implementation of smoke-free measures is beneficial to the businesses, employees and the community.

Enhance corporate brand image.

Promote a smoke-free lifestyle.

Provide a healthy workplace.

Create a fresh and smoke-free environment.

Safeguard employees’ health.

Promote occupational safety and health.

Foster mutual support among staff.

Show care for employees.

Enhance staff’s productivity.

Fulfill corporate social responsibility.

Build positive corporate image.

Cultivate a smoke-free community in joint hands.

Strive to build a smoke-free Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health hopes the awarded companies can   implement sustainable smoke-free measures and unite the industry to build a smoke-free, healthy Hong Kong for ourselves and the next generation.