Dear SMOKERS,

We are sorry to inform you as of 1st January 2007, non-smoking areas have been extended to cover the indoor areas of all restaurant premises, indoor workplaces, public indoor places, and some public outdoor places . No one can smoke or carry a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe in no smoking areas.

Some pubs and clubs do allow smoking indoors, please check with the staff before lighting up. The maximum fine is HK$5000.

It is definitely not a good experience to encounter emergency situations, especially in a foreign land.
These are some tips that may be helpful in an emergency situation.

1. Have a mobile phone that is connected to the Hong Kong local mobile networks (click to learn more about telecommunication in HK )

2. The emergency number for the Police, Fire Department, Ambulance Service is the SAME – 999.

3. Purchase travel insurance before your trip, take down the telephone number of the insurance company. Medical & dental emergency services are expensive anywhere else around the world.

4. Useful telephone numbers are as follow :
Hong Kong Country Code – 852 (If you are calling outside Hong Kong)
Collect Call – 10010
Tourism Board Visitor Hotline- 2508 1234
Consumer Council -2929 2222

If you happen to fall sick and need to get medication in Hong Kong, you can locate a pharmacist in shops with this sign displayed.

These are local drug stores selling over-the-counter medication. If you have a medical prescription, you can obtain the prescribed medication via the pharmacist during office hours.

My advice is to bring along some commonly used medication along with you. (such as painkillers, anti-diarrhea medication…etc). It will definitely dampen your mood by looking for medication in the middle of the night and even if you do manage to find them, they are going to cost you a bit. Precaution is always better than cure!!