Lingering in the Air: Beijing's Smoking Stats Remain Steady

Irene Li, Associate Editor | Jan 30, 2024 4:13 pm | Add a comment | 179 reads

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Public Health has unveiled the latest numbers on smoking in the city, and it looks like we're at a bit of a standstill. The adult smoking rate is hovering at 19.9 percent, and it hasn't budged since 2021, according to Beijing Health.

The dip in smoking rates among adults seems to be slowing down. The Beijing Health Commission was aiming for a 17 percent smoking rate by 2030, but there's still some ground to cover. Breaking it down by gender, there's been a slight uptick for men, who are now smoking at a rate of 36.6 percent (up by 0.6 percent), while women have cut down a bit to 2.2 percent (down by 0.5 percent).

Now, let's talk e-cigarettes. They're not exactly catching on more than in previous years. The survey pointed out that the number of people who've tried vaping has actually fallen from 7.4 percent in 2021 to 6.6 percent this year, with regular e-cig users also in decline, from 3.2 percent to 2.2 percent in the same period. Interestingly, a solid 77.4 percent of those surveyed are backing the idea of folding e-cigs into the current anti-smoking rules.

When it comes to second-hand smoke, about 29.6 percent say they're still getting a dose of it, something that also doesn't seem to have dropped off much since 2021. The silver lining? Places like offices, schools, and government buildings are seeing less puffing. But it's a different story in restaurants, universities, medical facilities, and on public transport, where second-hand smoke levels are pretty much unchanged.

But here's a bit of good news: It looks like the will to kick the habit is on the rise among Beijing smokers. The number trying to quit has climbed from 38.2 percent in 2021 to 41.8 percent, and those planning to quit are up from 19.2 percent to 23.7 percent.

That's the lowdown on the smoking situation in Beijing — fingers crossed the city can meet its smoke-free goals in the next few years!

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