Smoking 'too easy' in China, says WHO, and even smokers agree
WHO finds mainland smokersagree: far too easy to light up
Even smokers themselves agree - the mainland doesn't go far enough in stamping out tobacco use in public places, especially at work, according to a World Health Organisation report.
The findings were a clear indication the government lagged behind society in dealing with the health threats posed by smoking, the organisation said.
A comprehensive ban on smoking was introduced in Beijing in June, but many mainland cities have yet to follow suit. A national draft law banning smoking in public places was released for public consultation by the State Council in November last year, but has yet to be adopted.
"We see no reason to delay," said Angela Pratt, who leads the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative in Beijing. "The existing laws aren't working partly because many have loopholes. They're not well enforced. They don't protect people from exposure."
More than a million people die annually from tobacco-related illnesses on the mainland, and an additional 100,000 die from diseases arising from exposure to second-hand smoke.
About 70 per cent of Chinese smokers and ex-smokers said they had witnessed smoking in indoor workplaces in 2011 and 2012 - the highest percentage among the countries surveyed. About 82 and 89 per cent of respondents had observed smoking in restaurants and bars in the past six months, respectively.
