Today is World No Tobacco Day, the World Heath Organisation’s annual initiative to help people stop smoking and inform as to the business practices of tobacco companies. This year, its theme is, “Grow food, not tobacco”. But where do we stand as of now on the issues in China?
Backing up a bit, on 27 April, media reports pointed out people reflecting that a public-drinking-water fountain along Nanjing’s Xinjiekou pedestrian street had turned into an ashtray. From the picture, the drain of the facility had been blocked by cigarette butts, and had itself been damaged, unable to produce water.
According to the World Health Organisation, China has the largest number of smokers in the world, accounting for about one-third of the global smoking population. Despite measures taken by the Chinese government to curb the practice, smoking remains highly prevalent, especially among men.
Recent studies have shown that among male smokers with at least one chronic disease (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke or COPD), there has been no significant change in current smoking rates. People therefore still find it difficult to quit smoking even when aware they have such diseases.
The Nanjinger therefore spoke with several people of different ages and varying smoking habits to take the pulse of some of those in our part of China this World No Tobacco Day.
Cao Xiaoyong is a middle-aged Nanjing man who has smoked for more than 20 years. “I know smoking is bad for me, but I can’t quit. It’s a hard habit to break”, he told us.
But then, informed that in the UK, due to tax policies, the price of a pack of cigarettes has surpassed ¥100, Cao said, “If the price of cigarettes in China became that high, I would probably be forced to quit due to financial pressure. After all, a happy and fulfilling life is obviously more important than the short period of pleasure derived from smoking, and I have to make sure that the quality of life for my family does not deteriorate”.
Chen Kaoshan, a 70 something year old in Taizhou City of Jiangsu, who has been smoking for decades, said, “I’ve been smoking for so long that I don’t think it hurts me anymore. It’s just a part of my life”.
Asked about government efforts to assist people to quit smoking, Chen said, “The policy may not have been completely thought through and it is impossible to take care of all smokers. But if we could get old people who are bored and like to smoke, like me, together, to talk and play chess or do some simple-recreational activities, and then have the government provide items to help them quit smoking or some supervision and management, I think that might be a fun and effective way to do it”.
“All in all, if you don’t let me smoke, you’ll have to find a way to get me to turn my attention to other activities”, he added.
While smoking is a serious-health issue for Chen and Cao, it also impacts those around them. Secondhand smoke is associated with various diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Then there is its impact on the environment and air pollution.
Xiao Chenxin, a 20 something woman in Nanjing who has never smoked said, “I don’t understand why people smoke; it’s bad for your health and it’s a waste of money”.
Asked what she would say to smokers regarding how their habit affects her, Xiao said, “If in the future my friends around me or my husband smoke, I will tell them that smoking has a bad effect on the physical and mental health of their loved ones and friends, as well as their children”.
“Maybe they will try to quit out of concern for the people around them. Of course I will also give them some ‘stop-smoking sweets’ or snacks, or something to help distract them”, Xiao continued.
To reduce such exposure to secondhand smoke, the Chinese government has implemented smoke-free policies in many public spaces, restaurants and bars, as well as on public transportation. While they have had a degree of effectiveness, there is little enforcement and many who openly flout the policies.
The cost of treating smoking-related illnesses is enormous, and the associated loss of productivity and premature death is substantial. The government has recognised such a significant economic impact from smoking on China and taken steps to address it, such as by increasing taxes on tobacco products.
But following the UK example to raise taxes in the extreme would also have the knock-on effect of fuelling the black market and sales of fake, cheaper cigarettes.
The additional fact that smoking is often seen as a social activity, particularly in rural areas, means this severe, public-health issue in contemporary China is one with far-reaching consequences that will not be going away anytime soon.
