Vivian: "To think that smoking looks cool and can attract the opposite sex is totally wrong. I wouldn't choose a boyfriend who smokes."

Vivian: "Yes, when I was in Canada, I participated in American pool competitions, and the results were rather good." Vivian's big eyes were twinkling the joy of a child again.

Then, let's show off at club HK and let's see the Vivian beyond our imagination. Vivian's beautiful face began to look serious.

Vivian: "Unfortunately after returning to HK, everytime I go to play American pool, I'm forced to inhale second hand smoke! After I finish playing ball, not only does my nose feel uncomfortable, my whole body stinks of smoke."

Vivian: "Hong Kong can be called an international city, but in the restaurants, hair salons, pool halls and other indoor public places, they still haven't implemented a total ban on smoking, and can't even match with those nations which are under-developed."

Vivian: "I think the HKSAR goverment results have failed when safeguarding the health of people who don't smoke."

Vivian: "I'm not against people who smoke. I respect people's right to smoke. But for indoor public places, we also have the right not to inhale second hand smoke!"

During the year Vivian was in Form 6, she worked too hard on studying and got tuberculosis as a result of not resting enough. Vivian: "At that time, I had to take 3 shots each week and eat 45 pills. It took half a year for me to recover. It was very agonizing." But what was even more agonizing was during the time period when she was recovering and she just started working at the radio station, and in the work environment, there were many people who smoked. She was forced to inhale second hand smoke in her environment during her 'recovery period.' Vivian: "At that time, my co-workers at the radio station knew that I was in the process of treating my tuberculosis, but nobody would stop smoking in front of me for this reason. Now that I think about this, I still feel helpless."

Vivian: "If someone were to smoke in front of me right now, I would ask them to stop. Actually, my friends now won't smoke in front of me. If they need to smoke, they would go outside to smoke. Regarding these friends, I really admire them, because they know how to respect others."

Vivian: "Everyone has the right not to inhale second hand smoke inside public places!"

Vivian feels in this aspect, the government can't depend upon the people to enforce the law themselves. The goverment definitely needs to create a law, and carry out to educate the citizens, and have the ability to ensure the people from having to bear the poisons of second hand smoke.

Miss Chow feels there's too little sound right now from people who are against second hand smoke. We should talk more about it and talk more loudly about it until the society looks at this problem seriously.

This writer told her 'Vitality' magazine actually had plans earlier to set up a "Non-Smokers' Movement of HK." The organization of non-smoking people will fight for their rights that they should have. Miss Chow's eyes shined again.

Vivian: "That's great! I will definitely participate. If they need me for something, I will come out and use my popularity to carry out a positive message. Society should know that there are 85% of non-smokers in the population who actually have the right not to inhale second hand smoke."

Vivian: "I hope to organize many people to make more noise and to let the goverment hear this. They should at least make it a law first to ban smoking at restaurants and work places and other indoor public places, and carry out a long term plan to educate citizens to let the people know the dangers of smoking and second hand smoke."

Without even thinking, Vivian immediately agreed to be the ambassador for the "Non-Smokers' Movement of HK." She also suggested we should organize to do a peaceful demonstration, to let people know how greatly non-smokers mind about second hand smoke, and how much they wish not to be poisoned by second hand smoke.

Vivian: "If there's a demonstration, I would definitely participate and would even be the leader of the walk. The experiences of other countries have told me that this battle would definitely be a tough fight, but when we're victorious in the end, it would certainly belong to the non-smokers who stood up to defend their own right. HK shouldn't fall behind China."

It turns out that HK loves Vivian as much as Vivian loves HK.

Vivian: "As the ambassador for the "Non-Smokers' Movement of HK," I will immediately write a public letter to Chief Executive Mr. Tung Chee Hwa. I hope this would call his attention to the rights of non-smokers."

Why is the Vivian in front of our eyes different than the Vivian we have in our mind? Has Vivian changed, or have we never really been familiar with her?

Regardless of what it is, today's Vivian has done some unpredictable surprises; then let us look forward to watching Vivian change, watching Vivian fly, watching Vivian be better and better.

Vivian: "I still keep in touch with many of my fans. Our relationship is just like a good friend or family member."

Letter given to Mr. Tung Chee Hwa

Dear Mr. Tung Chee Hwa,

How do you do?

I've never been really familiar with politics. Now I'm writing a public letter to you, but I don't wish to give you any suggestions on politics. I want to represent the non-smokers of HK, a majority group of people who have been silent all along and want to fight for our basic rights which we should have.

According to statistics, there's less than 15% of the HK population who are smokers, but the remainder 85% of non-smokers have often had to silently bear the poisons of second hand smoke in restaurants, work places, and other indoor public places.

Second hand smoke has been proven to threaten a person's health. No matter if it's a customer or worker inside an environment that doesn't prohibit smoking 100%, they would be forced to inhale the nicotine of second hand smoke and a mixture of carbon monoxide and cancer causing matters.

According to a survey done by the 'Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health,' HK has 200,000 people who work in the food and drink industry, taking an extra risk of inhaling second hand smoke when working and leading to 6,000 people dieing, and 3,840 (64%) of those people have never smoked before.

They've been murdered!

The murderer is second hand smoke. The murderer's assistant is the HKSAR goverment, who discuss and can't decide to completely ban smoking in eating places and indoor working places; and the legislators who like to get exposure don't care about the lives of the people and are always giving false directions.

Please take note, the above-mentioned death rate doesn't include the customers of eating places or the office workers; among them would be children and senior citizens.

Why would a person have to pay for their health and their life for a bad habit that less than 8% of the population has?

I respect a smoker's freedom to smoke. I'm just asking that they don't smoke inside public places. This is such a basic manner in society and is the citizen's responsibility to be health conscious. For HK to be called an international city, is there really insufficient quality to obtain this?

These past few years, I've spent quite a bit of time living in another country. I noticed that the country had banned smoking indoors in all eating places and work places. If the government implements this, then the citizens would completely accept this law. If they need to smoke, then they go outside to smoke and won't poison other people. It's become a common practice.

I've also noticed that once a complete ban on smoking indoors is implemented for eating places, it wouldn't harm the eating industry business. The eating industry would be harmed only if there are bad eating places that violate this law and become an unfair competition.

Actually, according to the results of the 9th report from the 'Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health,' if there was a complete ban on smoking in HK eating places, there will be a 20% increase in people who would go out to dine, and 77% wouldn't change their habits, and only 3% claimed they would go out less.

An even better example is our HK International airport.

With such a big inside area of the airport, there's a complete ban on smoking indoors, including the restaurants. Smokers could go outside to smoke. But at the eating places on the inside of the airport, from fast food to high class restaurants, they are all crowded. The rent at the airport is believed to be a bit expensive, so why would the food and drink businesses not be scared that a complete ban on smoking indoors would affect their business and step back?

The answer is simple. There won't be an effect on the business of the eating places if there was a total ban on smoking indoors, so long as this is carried out completely. The HK International airport is the most successful example. It's regrettable that our culture is only limited to the airport. After travelers from foreign countries leave the airport, they'll know that it will be very difficult to find a non-smoking restaurant; there are very few choices.

Mr. Tung, I know you have a beloved grandson who also is against the opium battle that you have spent a long time investing in. To protect non-smokers is an issue that's not happening. For your love of the people and your grandson and for the health of more than 85% of the HK population who are non-smokers, I hope you will be brave and strong to make a law banning smoking everywhere inside eating places and work places.

We are a silent majority group, but we will definitely come out to support you and come out to defend our own right.

Mr. Tung, I don't know what history would say about your achievements, but if you make HK become an international city which has no smoking indoors, I believe a lot of citizens would feel proud of you; among those might be your grandson.

Wishing you good health,

Non-Smokers' Movement of HK Ambassador Vivian Chow

November 2003

For the 85% of the HK population who are non-smokers, now is the time to come out! We choose not to inhale smoke, however, our rights are not being respected! Everyday, countless non-smokers are slowly being murdered by the second hand smoke inside eating places, work places, and other indoor public places! Nobody should have to sacrifice their own life for other people's bad habits! We respect the right of smokers to smoke, but not indoors! We request the government to make a law on completely banning smoking indoors in eating places and work places! For your health, children, and the elderly, "Vitality" magazine decided to establish the "Non-Smokers' Movement of HK," to fight for the non-smoker's right to not inhale second hand smoke. The majority of people are silent, but you don't need to be silent anymore. Come out and let HK become a city with no smoke indoors!

For non-smokers who have an interest in participating, please fill in the form, so we can join our strengths, requesting that the government completely ban smoking indoors at eating places and work places as quickly as possible.