Expanding the non-smoking areas is more beneficial to Hong Kong citizens than increasing the tobacco tax. Do you agree? Explain your answer with reference to the sources and your own knowledge.

I agree that expanding the non-smoking areas is more beneficial to Hong Kong citizens than increasing the

tobacco

tax

.

Firstly

, increasing the

tobacco

tax

may not benefit to

Hong Kong citizen

Suggestion

a Hong Kong citizen

, as stated in Source B, smokers believed that the increase in

tobacco

Suggestion

the tobacco tax

tax

would encourage

tobacco

smuggling. People should switch to buy

cheaper but

Accept comma addition

cheaper, but

illegal cigarettes rather than stop smoking and may increase Hong Kong’s crime rate.

Thus

,

this

would not benefit or even harm Hong Kong citizens.

Besides

,

tax increase

Suggestion

the tax increase

a tax increase

is ineffective because the imposed amount doesn’t have much influence made

on

Suggestion

for

the rich and affordable people. There is a total of 3,800 of daily cigarette male and female smokers in the age group of 15-19 years old. If the price of cigarettes increases,

this

can probably reduce the number of teenagers smoking as they don’t have much money to support smoking.

However

, in Hong Kong, with 1 in 5 people considered

poor which

Accept comma addition

poor, which

only contributes 20%.

This

shows that

majority

Suggestion

the majority

a majority

of Hong Kong people are not very poor.

Therefore

, increasing the cigarette

tax

may not benefit Hong Kong citizens as much as expanding the non-smoking areas.

Secondly

, I think expanding the non-smoking areas like Macau as showed in source C, all indoor public areas expect the airport and entertainment venues where smoking rooms are provided, as well as within 10 meters from bus stops, is more beneficial to Hong Kong citizens. If

this

control is held in Hong Kong,

this

can ensure smokers staying in a specific area to

smoke

and protect non-smokers from breathing in

second

-hand

smoke

which contains even more harmful substances than the

first

-hand smokers.

As a result

, it is beneficial to Hong Kong people who are mostly non-smokers.

Thirdly

, with an increasing number of the non-smoking areas, smokers find more difficult to find a place to

smoke

. Their desire to

smoke

when hanging out would be reduced because it is not that convenient to

smoke

since they would have to find a specific place to

smoke

, which may separate themselves from family or friends or reduce the gathering time with family and friends. If

this

control has legal binding effect and any unlawful smoking in non-smoking areas may be penalized, it may reduce the number of smokers.

Therefore

, expanding the non-smoking areas is beneficial to Hong Kong citizens. In conclusion, I agree that expanding the non-smoking areas is more beneficial to Hong Kong citizens than increasing the

tobacco

tax

.