Authorities vow to further reduce smoking, second-hand smoke in Shanghai

Local authorities have vowed to work harder to further drop the smoking rate, reduce public exposure to second-hand smoke, and enhance protection for minors from the harm of tobacco.

The Shanghai Health Promotion Center, which leads smoking control in the city, said it has set the aim of reducing the adult smoking rate to less than 18 percent and adult exposure to second-hand smoke to less than 36 percent by 2030.

The current smoking rate is 19.4 percent and the passive smoking rate is 41.7 percent.

Second-hand smoke exposure for children and minors is targeted to reduce to under 10 percent by 2030.

Shanghai has been playing a leading role in smoking control in China.

Ti Gong

In March 2010, Shanghai became the first city in the country to approve legislation forbidding indoor smoking. The law was revised in 2016 to ensure a total ban. Shanghai has forbidden the use of e-cigarettes in public indoor places since late 2022.

Thanks to the legislation, strict law enforcement, and public education on the harms of smoking, the city's smoking rate has dropped by 7.5 percentage points since 2010 and the rate of smoking in venues where it is banned dropped from 37.5 percent to the current 12.3 percent.

Since banning smoking in all indoor public venues in 2017, Shanghai has imposed over 2.2 million yuan (US$305,700) in fines each year, totaling nearly 16 million yuan by 2023, the highest in the nation.

"Shanghai has appealed for more awareness and enhanced a network to step up legislation, law enforcement, and smoking-cessation services to help Shanghai become a smoke-free city," said Chen De, vice director of the Shanghai Health Promotion Center. "By 2022, a smoking-cessation education and service network had been primarily established based on neighborhood health centers and certain city and district-level hospitals. By 2030, the network will be expanded to more medical facilities, educational facilities, and work venues."

"In addition to enhance indoor smoking control, we are also working hard to control smoking while walking outdoors, which has long been complained about and is also an annoying behavior. The authorities are pushing the establishment and regulation of smoking spots to encourage people to only smoke in designated places outside."

The management of e-cigarettes would also be enhanced while promoting education on the harms of vaping, especially for minors and young people, officials said.

Ti Gong