Hong Kong government officials attend the kick-off ceremony of the smoke-free publicity program for World No Tobacco Day organized by the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health on May 24, 2022. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG - The Department of Health has partnered with non-governmental organizations to provide a one-week trial pack of smoking cessation drugs for free in a bid to encourage smokers to quit smoking.

Smokers can visit smoking cessation clinics of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation and United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service to get a one-week trial pack of nicotine replacement therapy for free after a simple assessment.

They can also make an appointment online or call 1833 183 to receive the trial pack, according to the government.

READ MORE: HK to ban e-cigarettes starting April 30

Smoking cessation drugs alleviate withdrawal symptoms and can encourage quit attempts. A course of nicotine replacement therapy generally lasts about eight to 12 weeks. 

If smokers decide to quit smoking after using the trial pack, they can enroll at the smoking cessation service provided at the smoking cessation clinics, the government said.

The move came as the Department of Health launched the Quit in June campaign in support of World No Tobacco Day.

Smokers who stay tobacco-free for four weeks would be five times more likely to quit for good, according to the government

Attending the kick-off ceremony of the smoke-free publicity program for World No Tobacco Day on Tuesday, Director of Health Ronald Lam Man-kin called on smokers to quit smoking in order to reduce their risk of tobacco-related diseases and death.

Lam pointed out that it is beneficial for smokers of all ages to quit smoking as it brings immediate and long-term health benefits. 

Smokers who stay tobacco-free for four weeks would be five times more likely to quit for good, according to the government. 

The Department of Health has also been providing a wide range of free smoking cessation services and support, including the “mail-to-quit service” in which smokers can receive cessation medications delivered to them by post from service providers. 

ALSO READ: Anti-smoking measures give reason to celebrate

The government also encourages smokers to download the “quit smoking” mobile app to keep track of their progress in quitting and get tips to deal with cravings and stay tobacco-free.

The World Health Organization has marked May 31 as World No Tobacco Day annually to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use. 

The theme for this year's World No Tobacco Day is "Tobacco: Threat to our environment".