Smoking in China
In China, smoking and the sale of cigarettes is legal, and they can be purchased online, but buying from vending machines is not permitted. Importing cigarettes for trade is allowed with a license. However, there is a complete ban on all tobacco advertising, and health warnings on cigarette packaging are required. The minimum legal age for purchasing cigarettes is 18 years, and there are legal restrictions on smoking in public places as well. Cigarettes are subject to a total taxation rate of 52%. As of 2024, China had an estimated 288.3 million current adult smokers, with an adult smoking prevalence of 24.4%. Among males, the smoking prevalence was 46.4%, and among females, it was only 1.9%. The number of daily smokers was approximately 256.9 million, with an adult daily smoking prevalence of 20.3%—38.6% among males and 1.3% among females. According to 2021 data, tobacco smoking caused about 2.7 million deaths in China—2.2 million among males and 490,700 among females. This presents that smoking accounted for 22.78% of all deaths in the country, including 31.81% of male deaths and 10.11% of female deaths.
Read articles from China
November 07, 2018 by globaltimes.cn
Cities mull ban on e-cigarettes in public even though China is the biggest producer
E-cigarettes are a booming industry in China. Although China only had a 6 percent share in the consumption of e-cigarettes in the world as of 2016, according to a report by Chinese consulting firm ASKCI Consulting, about 90 percent of e-cigarettes in the world are manufactured in China, mostly in Shenzhen. Most of these e-cigarettes are exported to countries in North America and Europe. Its invention is also deeply connected with China. [...]
September 10, 2018 by reason.com
Next Round of Tariffs Could Making Vaping More Expensive
Before the end of the week, President Donald Trump could order a new round of taxes on Chinese imports, and electronic cigarettes could be among the products targeted. Those higher import taxes on e-cigarettes would raise prices for consumers, strike a blow against public health in America, and jeopardize the future of a vaping industry that may not have ever come into being without the free exchange of goods and ideas across international borders. While it remains unclear whether e-cigarettes will be included in any future round of tariffs, vaping industry representatives argue that raising taxes on vapers would be a serious mistake.
August 30, 2018 by ejinsight.com
How should policymakers approach e-cigarettes?
The Hong Kong government is proud of its tobacco control efforts. The rate of smoking among the adult population is now below 20 percent. Officials believe they can get the number down to below 10 percent in the years ahead.
This generally positive trend has been disrupted by new technology. Some time ago, the tobacco industry saw its business starting to decline, especially in the developed world. It started to research products that would be less harmful to users, or annoying to others.
August 09, 2018 by medicinenet.com
Breast-Feeding Suffers in Homes With Smokers: Study
New mothers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home stop breast-feeding sooner than those in smoke-free households, researchers report. The study included more than 1,200 new mothers in Hong Kong, where Tarrant used to teach. The new findings were consistent with previous studies. The findings suggest that it's a good idea for others in the home to quit smoking before a woman gets pregnant, and to avoid it until she is no longer breast-feeding.
August 09, 2018 by investing.com
Tariffs On Chinese Goods Could Batter The U.S. Vaping Industry
Proposed tariffs on U.S. imports from China of electronic cigarettes, known as vaping products, could not come at a worse time for the industry. New levies would increase prices just as the industry is facing slowing growth and as it begins to add new health warnings to packaging. The Trump administration has threatened 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, including vape devices and parts, in addition to tariffs on $50 billion already imposed. As a result U.S. vape manufacturers, who (..)
August 03, 2018 by cgtn.com
Chinese tobacco regulators call for ban on e-cigarettes
Chinese tobacco regulators are calling for comprehensive awareness and control on electronic cigarettes – an alternative to cigarettes which currently operates in a regulatory gray area under the country’s nationwide ban for public smoking, [...]
"We are currently calling for relevant departments to look into regulation for standardized control on e-cigarettes and prohibit its public use like tobacco," says Zhang Jianshu, president of the Beijing Tobacco Control Association.
July 17, 2018 by euronews.com
Fast-growing e-cigarette maker Juul to launch in UK
Silicon Valley e-cigarette start-up Juul Labs is bringing its small flash drive-sized vaping device to the United Kingdom this week, aiming to reproduce its break-neck U.S. growth overseas.
Since launching in 2015 Juul has transformed the market in the United States, where it now accounts for nearly 70 percent of tracked e-cigarette sales.
Juul says it targets adult smokers, but it has faced scrutiny over the popularity of its products with teenagers. [...]
July 10, 2018 by thestandard.com.hk
Parents flaring up about e-cigarettes
Most parents asked for views on e-cigarettes want them banned outright rather than legalized with warnings and restrictions.
Eighty-two percent of 3,374 parents who responded to a survey called for the ban in the wake of a proposal last month to amend the current Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance to regulate e-cigarettes and herbal smoking products.
Suggestions now include prohibitions on sales to youngsters, packages with health warnings and indications of harmful substances, [...]
June 27, 2018 by scmp.com
The Hong Kong ex-police officers laying down the law on no-smoking zones
Smoking is banned in all public indoor areas including malls and public transport facilities, and some outdoor areas such as parks. Offenders face a fixed fine of HK$1,500.
Kuan recalled: “I told him not to run and said: ‘You have committed an offence. Stand still!’”
He is among a group of 20 former policemen, most in their 50s, spending their retirement cracking down on smoking offenders. [...]
June 19, 2018 by thestandard.com.hk
Medical sector demands ban on e-cigarettes
Representatives from across the medical sector today voiced their strong opposition to a proposal to regulate electronic cigarettes, and demanded a total ban on the products instead, RTHK reports.
At a joint press conference, the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the Medical Association and the medical schools of the Chinese University and the University of Hong Kong said e-cigarettes and other new smoking alternatives could cause substantial harm to people's health.