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February 16th, 2012:

Smoking ban expected by Beijing

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-02/16/content_14626870.htm

Smoking ban expected by Beijing

Updated: 2012-02-16 16:58

By Cao Yin and Zheng Xin (China Daily)

BEIJING – A ban on smoking will be written into the capital’s municipal regulations as the city increases its anti-smoking efforts.

Measures banning smoking are on the legislative agenda and the government is expected to pass the regulations, Zhang Yin, director of the legal office from the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, told China Daily at the top legislature 2012 working conference.

Although there is a smoking ban in public places, it has not been well enforced, Zhang said. The new regulations are expected strengthen enforcement, he said.

“Smoking is a serious problem that the public has complained about. We must figure out how to enforce a smoking ban,” Zhang said. “What we are doing now is to integrate all our research on this and develop the groundwork for lawmakers to write the regulations,” he added.

He did not disclose any specifics or details on what the regulations would say, or a timeline for when they will be passed.

As the biggest tobacco producer and consumer in the world, China has more than 300 million smokers, and 740 million are exposed to the second hand smoke. Some 1.2 million Chinese die from tobacco-related diseases every year, according to Vice-Minister of Health Huang Jiefu.

In a survey of some 40,000 students nationwide conducted by the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control, 15.8 percent of the high school students smoke and 22.5 percent say they want to try smoking.

“Smoking has become quite prevalent among students,” said association spokesman Suo Chao. “Twelve to 14 year-olds are especially vulnerable.”

According to the World Health Organization, there are 1.25 billion smokers worldwide. Six million die from tobacco-related diseases every year, and the figure will soar to 8 million in 2030 if the trend continues at this pace.

Successes and new emerging challenges in tobacco control: addressing the vector

Download PDF : Successes and new emerging challenges in tobacco control. addressing the vector Ed TC 12 03

INTRODUCTION
There have been momentous events in
tobacco control since the first edition of
Tobacco Control was launched in 1992.
These include increased global awareness
of the harmfulness of tobacco and the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (WHO FCTC).1 The WHO FCTC
represents the most momentous milestone;
it was the first treaty negotiated
under the auspices of the WHO and
entered into force in 2005. It is one of the
most rapidly embraced UN treaties and
represents a paradigm shift in developing
a regulatory strategy to address addictive
substances. In contrast to previous drug
control treaties, the WHO FCTC asserted
the importance of demand reduction
strategies as well as supply issues and thus
established a framework for an integrated
multisectoral response to a grave public
health issue.
Other major achievements include
strengthening of the international nongovernmental
movement against tobacco,
for example, continuing and expanded
world conferences on tobacco or health;
the establishment of the International
Network of Women Against Tobacco,
inaugurated about the same time as the
launch of the journal; the Framework
Convention Alliance formed in 1999;
international web-based networks on
tobacco. There has been a significant
increase in research on the effects of
tobacco and secondhand smoke, the
economic costs of tobacco and the
behaviour of the tobacco companies;
financial contributions of major international
donors have increased the levels of
funding for tobacco control efforts in lowand
middle-income countries. Other key
developments include the series of WHO
Reports on the Global Tobacco Epidemic,2
which provides an unprecedented level of
detail and roadmaps for effective solutions;
reduction in smoking prevalence
rates in many parts of the world; and the
UN summit on Noncommunicable
Diseases (NCDs) in 2011, in which the
need to address tobacco use prevalence
was highlighted as a cornerstone of NCD
interventions. That said, the past 20 years
have also brought an increasing resistance
to tobacco control measures and emerging
threats to public health by the tobacco
industry, a phenomenon requiring
a worldwide coordinated response in order
to sufficiently and effectively curb the
global tobacco epidemic.

INTRODUCTIONThere have been momentous events intobacco control since the first edition ofTobacco Control was launched in 1992.These include increased global awarenessof the harmfulness of tobacco and theWHO Framework Convention on TobaccoControl (WHO FCTC).1 The WHO FCTCrepresents the most momentous milestone;it was the first treaty negotiatedunder the auspices of the WHO andentered into force in 2005. It is one of themost rapidly embraced UN treaties andrepresents a paradigm shift in developinga regulatory strategy to address addictivesubstances. In contrast to previous drugcontrol treaties, the WHO FCTC assertedthe importance of demand reductionstrategies as well as supply issues and thusestablished a framework for an integratedmultisectoral response to a grave publichealth issue.Other major achievements includestrengthening of the international nongovernmentalmovement against tobacco,for example, continuing and expandedworld conferences on tobacco or health;the establishment of the InternationalNetwork of Women Against Tobacco,inaugurated about the same time as thelaunch of the journal; the FrameworkConvention Alliance formed in 1999;international web-based networks ontobacco. There has been a significantincrease in research on the effects oftobacco and secondhand smoke, theeconomic costs of tobacco and thebehaviour of the tobacco companies;financial contributions of major internationaldonors have increased the levels offunding for tobacco control efforts in lowandmiddle-income countries. Other keydevelopments include the series of WHOReports on the Global Tobacco Epidemic,2which provides an unprecedented level ofdetail and roadmaps for effective solutions;reduction in smoking prevalencerates in many parts of the world; and theUN summit on NoncommunicableDiseases (NCDs) in 2011, in which theneed to address tobacco use prevalencewas highlighted as a cornerstone of NCDinterventions. That said, the past 20 yearshave also brought an increasing resistanceto tobacco control measures and emergingthreats to public health by the tobaccoindustry, a phenomenon requiringa worldwide coordinated response in orderto sufficiently and effectively curb theglobal tobacco epidemic.