Beijing to Begin 100-Day Anti-Smoking Campaign July 1
By Justine Lopez
Starting July 1, Beijing will begin a 100-day anti-smoking campaign. The campaign comes exactly one year after China’s implementation of strict tobacco regulations, China.org.cn reports.
The law banned smoking in any indoor public space and some outdoor locations. According to a survey conducted between March and April of this year, the capital has seen a significant reduction in people smoking in indoor public places – such as schools, hotels and restaurants – since last year, said Mei Hongguang, the deputy director for health promotion at the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning. Cigarette sales have decreased by 2.71 percent in Beijing since last year, said Gao Xiaojun, the commission's spokesman.
Roughly 5,100 residents and 728 businesses participated in the survey.
Gao added that less than seven percent of places surveyed failed to comply with regulations. Last year the number was at 23 percent. The survey also questioned smokers about the likelihood that they would quit smoking. Currently 46 percent of people surveyed said they intended to quit versus only 11.6 percent last year.
This new anti-smoking campaign will be held in partnership with the World Health Organization. Smokers will be encouraged to seek professional help to quit smoking at one of Beijing’s clinics set up at 16 hospitals around town. They can also call one of three hotlines in order to get advice on how to quit. Any Beijing resident over the age of 18 who has been a smoker for over a year can sign up. The deadline for registration is June 30.
During the campaign, smokers will be encouraged to interact on WeChat. Participants who manage to quit will be in the running to win prizes worth up to RMB20,000 (roughly USD3,100).
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