Smoke-free Youth Ambassadors Sown the Seeds of a Smoke-free Living in the Community

Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) has been sparing no efforts to educate the youngsters on smoking hazards, encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and strive for a smoke-free Hong Kong. Smoke-free Youth Ambassador Leadership Training Programme has been organized annually since 2012 to instill knowledge of tobacco control and smoking hazards in youngsters, provide training on various skills, as well as sustain their pioneering role in spreading smoke-free culture.

Around 300 youngsters, aged 14 to 18, from more than 35 secondary schools, youth centres and uniform groups enrolled for the 2016-17 programme. They joined a 2-Day-1-Night leadership training camp last summer and applied their knowledge to initiate a record high of more than 200 innovative activities to disseminate the smoke-free message in their families, schools and the community from September to December 2016. Having learnt from predecessors’ experiences, the Youth Ambassadors organized a wide variety of community-based projects and successfully engaged over 40,000 citizens this year. Activities included inviting legislative council and district council members to make smoke-free pledges, conducting forced vital capacity testing for citizens, busking, inviting couples and newlyweds to make smoke-free promise, as well as organizing activities in kindergartens, primary schools and elderly centres.

An award presentation ceremony was held today (7 March 2017) to commend the outstanding Youth Ambassadors for their efforts. Honourable guests included Mr Eddie NG, Secretary for Education, Dr Tina CHAN, Assistant Director of Health (Special Health Services), Mr Antonio KWONG, COSH Chairman, Ms Yolanda NG, COSH Vice-chairman and Mr Christopher YU, Chairman of COSH Education and Publicity Committee.

Mr Eddie NG, Secretary for Education said, the Education Bureau has been promoting a healthy lifestyle among students and encouraging them to say no to cigarettes. He congratulated the Youth Ambassadors on their success in disseminating smoke-free message.

Dr Tina CHAN, Assistant Director of Health (Special Health Services) remarked, “I am glad the Council has once again organized the Programme this year. This Programme has become a driving force fostering new batch of youth ambassadors to advocate smoke-free culture as well as protect the health of the public."

“It is encouraging that the ambassadors not only promoted smoke-free message among their schoolmates, friends and families, but also sown the seeds in the community to gather the support from every sector for a smoke-free Hong Kong. Their efforts, courage and organizing ability are appreciated.” Mr Antonio KWONG, COSH Chairman said.

Click here to browse the list of winners in previous years.

The awards went to St Catherine’s School For Girls (Champion), Lingnan Dr Chung Wing Kwong Memorial Secondary School (1st runner-up) and NT Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School, Team 1 (2nd runner-up). There were also 7 teams being awarded as “Outstanding Smoke-free Team” this year.

The Champion team from St Catherine’s School For Girls successfully delivered smoke-free message to over 3,600 citizens. Having been equipped with counseling skills learnt in the training camp and smoke-free activities, one of the team members successfully encouraged her father to kick the smoking habit. The team shared their tips and experience in organizing activities under the theme of “Start Young for a Smoke-free Hong Kong” in the ceremony. They launched plenty of activities including exhibition, game booths, orienteering competition and tongue twister competition to instill knowledge of smoking hazards and tobacco control in schoolmates in an interesting way.

Besides, they systematically sent letters to invite kindergartens and primary schools in the district to participate in a series of activities, such as slogan design competition and colouring competition. In a joyful learning environment, children got to know the importance of having a smoke-free healthy lifestyle and refrained themselves from taking the first cigarette in the future. The team also strived to cultivate smoke-free culture in the community by inviting citizens to take photos to show support to a smoke-free Hong Kong and providing forced vital capacity test to disseminate information of smoking hazards and smoking cessation in Causeway Bay and Mongkok.

The programme will be organized again this year and renamed to “Smoke-free Teens Programme”. Local secondary schools, youth centres and uniform groups are welcome to nominate youngsters to be ambassadors and promote a smoke-free living in the community. Details of the programme can be found atwww.smokefree.hk/smokefreeteens.

Photo captions


Honourable guests commended the Youth Ambassadors for launching innovative programmes in schools and the community to promote a smoke‐free living.


The Champion team, St Catherine’s School For Girls, shared their experience in organizing activities under the theme of “Start Young for a Smoke-free Hong Kong”.