BEIJING - China aims to impose a nationwide ban on smoking in public places this year, as authorities move to stamp out a widespread practice that has taken a severe toll on citizens' health.
China, home to some 300 million smokers, is the world's largest consumer of tobacco, and smoking is a ubiquitous part of social life, particularly for men.
Tougher regulation of smoking is a priority this year, officials from the National Health and Family Planning Commission said this week, adding that the agency was pushing lawmakers to toughen laws on tobacco use.
"Compared to the damage to health that smoking causes, tobacco's economic benefits are trivial," Mao Qun'an, a spokesman for the commission, told a news conference on Tuesday.
The drumbeat to reduce tobacco use has grown steadily louder in the past few years, but experts say China's powerful tobacco industry, which has resisted raising cigarette prices and use of health warnings on cigarette packs, has been a tough opponent.
The nationwide smoking ban has long been in the works. Several cities have banned smoking in public places, but enforcement has been lax.
The commission's statement follows a government circular urging Communist Party cadres and government officials not to light up in schools, workplaces, stadiums, and on public transport, among other places, so as to set a positive example."
At least it is good for the government to come out and SAY what it wants to achieve. Better than no saying anything!
Lessons for me are:
1. if it is PURELY looking at this issue from the big picture perspective, as long as the total economic benefit is less than the total healthcare cost smoking will bring, it is really a NO brainer to STOP selling cigarettes. Unfortunately, the interests of the tobacco industry will take a big hit, and may even die off, if tobacco sales are banned!;
2. So, IF the nation is REALLY serious about this issue, it WILL ban the sales of tobacco but OVER a 3-5 years period so that the tobacco industry can make plan to plant and produce some other cash crops. This is very drastic and unlikely to succeed as even in the USA, the government could not stop the sale of tobacco products. It does, and China too, mandated posting of health warning on tobacco packaging with some countries even going for 'non-branding allowed' on tobacco products!;
3. the decision of: "to smoke or not to smoke" is an individual choice IF tobacco sale is NOT illegal. From experiences, once someone started smoking, it cannot be a difficult addiction to kick though nothing is impossible with determination and supports from medical care people and family and friends. However, IF tobacco sale is banned, will it goes underground and become another illegal drug issue? No government will want to push the tobacco smokers to be level of illegal drug users as the number is simply too large to start with! Also, smoking tobacco while is detrimental to health, it is not as bad as illegal drugs like 'ice', heroin, etc.
Finally, the enforcement of the 'no smoking' will be a war. MANY smokers DO NOT respect the 'no smoking' rules. Many business owners DO NOT dare to 'stop' customers from smoking in non-smoking area for fear of 'chasing away' customers. So, will be interesting to see IF the non-smoking PUBLICS will be determined to PUSH for their 'we don't want 2nd hand smoke' right!
China, home to some 300 million smokers, is the world's largest consumer of tobacco, and smoking is a ubiquitous part of social life, particularly for men.
Tougher regulation of smoking is a priority this year, officials from the National Health and Family Planning Commission said this week, adding that the agency was pushing lawmakers to toughen laws on tobacco use.
"Compared to the damage to health that smoking causes, tobacco's economic benefits are trivial," Mao Qun'an, a spokesman for the commission, told a news conference on Tuesday.
The drumbeat to reduce tobacco use has grown steadily louder in the past few years, but experts say China's powerful tobacco industry, which has resisted raising cigarette prices and use of health warnings on cigarette packs, has been a tough opponent.
The nationwide smoking ban has long been in the works. Several cities have banned smoking in public places, but enforcement has been lax.
The commission's statement follows a government circular urging Communist Party cadres and government officials not to light up in schools, workplaces, stadiums, and on public transport, among other places, so as to set a positive example."
At least it is good for the government to come out and SAY what it wants to achieve. Better than no saying anything!
Lessons for me are:
1. if it is PURELY looking at this issue from the big picture perspective, as long as the total economic benefit is less than the total healthcare cost smoking will bring, it is really a NO brainer to STOP selling cigarettes. Unfortunately, the interests of the tobacco industry will take a big hit, and may even die off, if tobacco sales are banned!;
2. So, IF the nation is REALLY serious about this issue, it WILL ban the sales of tobacco but OVER a 3-5 years period so that the tobacco industry can make plan to plant and produce some other cash crops. This is very drastic and unlikely to succeed as even in the USA, the government could not stop the sale of tobacco products. It does, and China too, mandated posting of health warning on tobacco packaging with some countries even going for 'non-branding allowed' on tobacco products!;
3. the decision of: "to smoke or not to smoke" is an individual choice IF tobacco sale is NOT illegal. From experiences, once someone started smoking, it cannot be a difficult addiction to kick though nothing is impossible with determination and supports from medical care people and family and friends. However, IF tobacco sale is banned, will it goes underground and become another illegal drug issue? No government will want to push the tobacco smokers to be level of illegal drug users as the number is simply too large to start with! Also, smoking tobacco while is detrimental to health, it is not as bad as illegal drugs like 'ice', heroin, etc.
Finally, the enforcement of the 'no smoking' will be a war. MANY smokers DO NOT respect the 'no smoking' rules. Many business owners DO NOT dare to 'stop' customers from smoking in non-smoking area for fear of 'chasing away' customers. So, will be interesting to see IF the non-smoking PUBLICS will be determined to PUSH for their 'we don't want 2nd hand smoke' right!
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