‘It will take time to change smoking culture,’ official says after 1,200 site checks

Hong Kong's labour commissioner, Sam Hui Chark-shum, stated that changing the smoking culture on construction sites will require time. This comes after authorities conducted 1,200 site inspections and issued 36 fixed-penalty notices within the first two weeks of a smoking ban. Labour Department officials also issued nine improvement notices to contractors and are reviewing two cases for potential prosecution. Hui acknowledged that the ongoing presence of smoking workers indicates the situation is not yet ideal. The inspections and penalties aim to enforce the new smoking ban at these locations.