3/25/2011
1:11am
The world’s largest tobacco producer Beijing China has issued a national ban on smoking in hotels, restaurants, and other indoor public spaces. The ban will take effect on May 1 it will also include educational provisions about the dangers of smoking, it will put restrictions on cigarette vending machines, and smoking outdoors that affects pedestrians. There still are loopholes that still allow people to smoke in factories, offices, government workplaces and there is also a lack of penalties and guidelines with the ban. Being the location with one third of all smokers many have learned to ignore the signs that are put in place to prevent smoking. Antismoking supporters see it as a way to help deter the nation off tobacco. It’s said that tobacco kills more than 1.2 million Chinese a year. Nearly one-third of Chinese adults smoke; leaving China among the world’s highest smoking rates. Authorities have raised taxes on cigarettes; guidelines were also set to help reduce the use of tobacco on screen.
There could be major benefits with the reduction of Chinese smokers; such as an increased life span and reduction of incidence of tobacco related health conditions. One of the big issues is trying to stop many of the Chinese from smoking; since it is so prevalent and they are the biggest producers of tobacco it doesn’t help in prevention measures. If a large proportion of people quit smoking there is the outcome of a reduction in tax dollar that would have come from users. With such an abundance of tobacco production and users it seems that stricter steps should be used if there is to be a decrease and users and smoking deaths.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/world/asia/25china.html?ref=world
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