According to information from the World Health Organization, China
has the largest number of smoking population in the world.
In 2002, China had altogether 900 million smokers, with 350-some
million of them being active smokers and 540-some million being
passive smokers. The number of smokers accounted for 70
percent?of the country's total population, Jin Wan Bao
reported.
In China, 60 percent?of the males and 4 percent?of the
females aged 15 or above smoke cigarettes. Of the 5 million people
who die of various diseases related with smoking every year in the
world, 1.2 million are in China. If the situation is not
controlled, it is estimated that by 2020, the figure might reach 10
million.
Recently, the Ministry of Health published the draft version of
a regulation on sanitation administration in public places. The
draft version was issued to canvass the public's comments before it
is officially enacted. In this draft version, it is clearly stated,
for the first time in history, that smoking in public places is
'prohibited'. By issuing the regulation, China will launch a
nationwide campaign against smoking.
Revision of the regulation will be completed by the end of this
year. By then, it will become a state law to ban smoking in public
places, said Xu Guihua, deputy chairman and secretary-general of
the China Anti-Smoking Association.
The State Adminsitration of Industry and Commerce will finish
the revision work on the Provisional Measures for the
Administration of Cigarette Advertising, possibly by the end of
this year or early next year. It is expected that by January 2011,
China will completely ban cigarette ads and promotion activities,
Xu added.
(Chinanews October 10, 2007)
