Table 1
Major agents involved in the Hong Kong tobacco control process (pre-1997)
| Agent | Role |
|---|---|
| Governor | The British Crown’s representative holding vice-regal powers. |
| Legislative Council (LegCo) | The sole chamber of the HK parliament comprising both appointed and elected members |
| Executive Council (ExCo) | Government’s inner circle responsible for determining and controlling policy |
| District Boards (DBs) | Played an important role in the policymaking process by holding public forums and providing the opportunity for local constituents to express their views on a range of policy initiatives Each board was headed by a chairman |
| Asian Tobacco Council (ATC) | Established by industry in 199017 and based in HK |
| Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) | Established and funded by the government in 1987.18 Its role included: |
| • informing and educating the public on the harm of smoking | |
| • conducting and coordinating research | |
| • advising the government on smoking/health matters19 | |
| Tobacco Institute of Hong Kong (TIHK) | HK based tobacco lobby group established in 1983. Replaced the Hong Kong Tobacco Industry Association |
