As more cities join, China is tightening smoking laws

China is stepping up its efforts to control smoking as 44 cities introduced or amended laws in 2023, bringing the total number of cities with laws in place across the country to 254, smoking authorities said. health.

According to experts from the National Health Commission (NHC), provincial-level smoking laws have been introduced in 24 regions of China, and the percentage of the population protected by comprehensive smoke-free laws is steadily increasing.

The data was released at a ceremony in Beijing on Saturday to mark the inauguration of a medical-led committee focused on tobacco control and health improvement. The event also included a seminar on this issue.

Smoking control, including smoking prevention and encouraging smokers to quit, is a viable approach for both population-wide disease prevention and individual health care, said Wang Lu, a health expert at the NHC.

China ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005 and implemented it in 2006.

As outlined in a document published in 2016 aimed at building a healthier China, the country has decided to step up control of tobacco products through pricing, taxes and legislation. It also aims to actively promote the construction of smoke-free environments and strengthen surveillance and law enforcement in public places.

The document aims to reduce the nationwide smoking rate among people over the age of 15 to 20 percent by 2030.

In recent years, local governments have seen active legislative efforts to control tobacco.

For example, Beijing prohibits smoking in public places, indoor workplaces and outdoor queues. Shenzhen prohibits smoking in indoor workplaces, indoor public places, in public transport vehicles, and outdoors in schools, parks and medical facilities.

Thanks to continued anti-smoking efforts, the adult smoking rate has dropped to 19.4% in Shanghai, for example.

The data shows that nationwide, the smoking rate among the population aged 15 and over was 24.1% in 2022, a decrease of 1.7 percentage points compared to 2020.

NHC official Wu Xiangtian noted that China will actively promote smoke-free environments and make health communication the centerpiece of disease management to help patients adopt a healthy lifestyle.

At the same time, the country will intensify scientific research in the field of epidemiology and clinical treatment of tobacco addiction.