Shanghai has lowest smoking rate on the mainland
Shanghai's smoking rate last year was 18.6 percent, 0.6 percentage points lower than 2023, making it the city with the lowest smoking rate on the mainland, local health officials said on Friday, eve of World No Tobacco Day.
About 34.7 percent of local men and 1.4 percent of women are smokers.
Shanghai has been stepping up smoking control in the city. Since launching its anti-smoking law in 2010, the local rate has dropped 8.3 percentage points under strict law enforcement and public education events.
In the field of e-cigarette use, 0.7 percent of local people are vapers, dropping by 0.7 percentage points from 2023.
Non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoking also dropped by 47.6 percent in 2023 to last year's 37.9 percent as a result of the city's anti-smoking measures.
Violations of the smoking-control law in public areas also reduced from 37.5 percent in 2010 to the current 13 percent. Residents always express their strong support in building a smoking-free city, officials said.
To further boost smoking control, the health authorities will introduce volunteers to promote knowledge on the harm of smoking, persuade people not to smoke in banned places and promote anti-law awareness in tourist spots and public venues.
Four amusement parks — Shanghai Disney Resort, Legoland Shanghai Resort, Shanghai Happy Valley and Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park — also vowed at an anti-smoking event on Friday that they would enhance smoking control measures and improve public health protection, especially protecting minors from passive smoking.
Officials from four leading amusement parks vowed to step up smoking control measures at their venues.
Shanghai is committed to enhancing smoking-control initiatives.
In March 2010, it was the first city in China to pass legislation prohibiting smoking indoors. In 2016, they updated the law to enforce a complete ban. Since late 2022, Shanghai has also forbidden the use of e-cigarettes in public indoor spaces.
Last year, Shanghai issued a statement to further strengthen control of second-hand smoke at eight types of outdoor venue — scenic spots, restaurants, and beverage shops, sidewalks and waiting areas at traffic lights, outdoor amusement parks, bus stops, and entrances and exits of shopping malls and commercial buildings.
