Government coughers

THE air in China can be deadly and not just because of the smog. Some 300m Chinese adults are smokers and, with over 700m people exposed to second-hand smoke, the country is paying a high price for its addiction. The prevalence of smoking is greater in countries like Austria and Russia since, although more than half of Chinese men smoke, barely 2% of women do. But China is still the world’s largest cigarette market and, on present trends, 100m people stand to die from tobacco-related illnesses this century. The resultant economic burden—estimated in the tens of billions of dollars—will soar as the economy and the cost of health care grow.

China is starting to take notice of the problem. Mao Zedong smoked like a chimney but it is rare to see a senior leader smoking in public now. Peng Liyuan, China’s first lady, is even an official anti-smoking ambassador. China has also taken a number of policy measures. It ratified the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005. The central government promoted a partial ban on smoking in public places at health-care facilities and in schools. Some large cities have announced restrictions on smoking in indoor public places.