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■本港上月中全城瘋狂搶購食鹽，有百貨公司貨架上的食鹽被市民搶購一空，職員開箱準備把食鹽上架時，市民蜂擁而上「爭奪」。 資料圖片
在日本核危機陰影下，內地和香港謠傳食鹽中的碘有助抗輻射，以及海鹽可能受到核污染，本港上月中全城瘋狂搶購食鹽，加上有內地人來港掃貨回內地炒賣，導致食鹽價格一度飆升近10倍。有關食鹽的謠言四處散播，不僅在社會上製造恐慌，擾亂市民日常生活，而且成為不法商人哄抬物價的藉口，令消費者蒙受損失。當局不應將謠言只視為普通惡作劇而掉以輕心，應追查謠言來源，將惡意發布人士繩之於法。市民亦應有一定分析辨別能力，密切留意政府的公布，不要亂信謠言自亂陣腳。
打擊謠言貴在及時，為免市民因訊息不足而產生各種疑惑及不安，當局應恢復過去沙士或嚴重流感爆發時，每天公布最新情況的慣例，不應只是被動式回應記者提問，更要就市民最關心的問題例如核輻射散播、輸港食物和港人在日本情況等，主動向外發布權威信息，以發揮止疑息惑的作用，並加強打擊利用謠言哄抬物價的行為。
本港一直以國際大都會自居，港人的文明理性亦一直受到外界稱道。諷刺的是，一條子虛烏有、荒誕不經的謠言，就令到全城陷入「搶鹽荒」，值得反思。由於不少市民存在「羊群心理」，特別在災難發生時更容易變成驚弓之鳥，誤信各種荒謬的謠言。市民應汲取教訓，以沉著冷靜態度看待各種謠言，不輕信謠言，才是應對危機應有的態度。
Punish rumour-mongers and put people's mind at ease
Under the menace of the nuclear crisis in Japan, there were widespread rumours on the mainland and in Hong Kong that iodine contained in salt could resist radiation and that sea salt might be contaminated by nuclear leakage. People madly rushed for salt all over Hong Kong in the middle of last month, and compounded by the speculative activities of some mainlanders who came to sweep a large quantity of salt back to the mainland, the price of salt once soared by nearly 10 times. The spreading of the rumours not only created a panic in society but also caused disruptions to normal daily life of the people. Unscrupulous merchants made use of the rumours as an excuse to mark up prices, causing losses to consumers. The authorities should not treat these rumours lightly as just some kind of a hoax. They should track down the source of the rumours and bring those who willfully spread the rumours to justice. Local residents should also use their critical judgment, and closely follow the announcements of the government. They should not easily believe in rumours and lose their grip.
Timing is crucial to dispelling rumours. To free the public of worries and anxieties caused by a lack of information, the authorities should once again carry out daily briefing as they did during the outbreak of SARS or other serious influenza epidemics. They should inform the public of the latest developments every day instead of passively responding to the queries raised by reporters. More importantly, they should proactively disclose authoritative information on issues which people are deeply concerned with, such as the dispersion of radioactive substances, imports of food into Hong Kong and the conditions of Hong Kong people in Japan. This not only clarifies uncertainties and dispels doubts, but also reinforces fight against offences of profiting from rumours and marking up prices.
Hong Kong has always prided itself on being a world city and Hong Kong people are highly regarded internationally for their civility and sensibility. It is ironic that the city would be brought to such a chaotic state where people scrambled for salt simply because of a piece of groundless and ridiculous rumour.
It is a case for reflection. People are often motivated by herd instinct, especially in events of disasters. Many will easily react with startling responses, and easily fall for all sorts of ridiculous rumours. People should learn a lesson from here and in future treat all rumours in a serene and calm manner. The right attitude to handling a crisis is to brush rumours off. ■Translation by 開明 chi.ming818@gmail.com
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