Education targets young people on World No Tobacco Day
A young man takes a photograph at an exhibition on the harms of smoking that opened on Friday, World No Tobacco Day.
The smoking rate among local people over 15 years old was 19.2 percent last year, dropping by 0.2 percentage points from the previous year.
The smoking prevalence among males and females was 36.3 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively, local health officials said on Friday, World No Tobacco Day.
This year's theme is to protect children from tobacco industry interference.
Though the overall smoking rate keeps dropping in Shanghai, there is a rise of e-cigarette use, which increased by 0.3 percentage points from 2022 to last year's 1.4 percent.
In addition, non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke was 47.6 percent last year, rising by 5.9 percentage points from 2022.
There are more middle school students smoking as their cigarette use was 1.4 percent last year, rising by 0.4 percentage points from 2021 and most smoking students are those in vocational schools. The use of e-cigarettes among students was 1.6 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than 2021.
A woman photographs a picture created by a child on the risks of smoking.
Anti-smoking education for the young
Local health authorities held a lecture at Shanghai University to promote education on the harms of smoking in college, and to help students to quit.
Dr Li Weihao from Jing'an District Central Hospital said smoking has serious repercussions for minors and young people, as it can impact lung growth and raise the risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and reduce immunity against respiratory infections.
"Some young people think e-cigarettes are fashionable and consider it is less harmful than traditional tobacco," Li said. "In fact, aerosols induced by e-cigarettes are smaller and more likely to reach the deep lungs."
Tobacco dependence is a chronic addictive disease, which means personal change without professional support is difficult, experts said.
"The success rate of quitting totally by one's own efforts is 3 to 5 percent," said Dr Chen De from Shanghai Health Promotion Center, a leading facility in the anti-smoking campaign in Shanghai. "Actually, Shanghai has established 37 standard smoking-cessation clinics in local hospitals and offer individualized evaluation and medical help for smokers to quit."
"People who need can call the 12320 health hotline for a consultation or check the Health Cloud, or Jiankangyun, mini program," Chen said.
Dr Li Weihao from Jing'an District Central Hospital tells local university students how smoking damages the lungs.
