More teenagers are becoming addicted to tobacco, says the 2008 China Tobacco Control Report.
About 40 million of the country's 130 million children between 13 and 18 have tried smoking, and 15 million of them have become addicted.
Nearly 68 percent of them had their first whole cigarette before they reached 13, with those in big cities doing so at an even younger age, said the report, released on World No Tobacco Day on Saturday, with this year’s theme of “Tobacco-free Youth".
The rate of addiction among girls is much higher than what it was among their mothers, said Sarah England, an official with WHO China office.
Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, blames tobacco advertisements and promotion for the rising rate of tobacco addiction. Tobacco companies target youths by falsely associating tobacco use with glamour, energy and sex appeal.
And Yang said smoking scenes in films and TV programs, and parents and teachers who smoke have a strong impact on youths as well.
Easy access to tobacco products is also to blame. The three top selling cigarettes in the country are priced under 5 yuan (72 cents), the report says. The huge number of low-priced cigarettes could facilitate smoking among youths.
In addition, more than 90 percent of the young smokers have never encountered a shopkeeper's "no" despite the ban on selling tobacco to children under 18.
To break the tobacco marketing chain and better protect youth, the World Health Organization has urged China to totally ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Laws and regulations have already been enacted to save youths from tobacco addiction, Yang said. The government has taken every possible step to make the Beijing Olympic Games smoke-free, she said. "And its efforts won't stop with the end of the Games."
But Zhang Baozhen, deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration has a different view. As a developing country, China still needs the tobacco industry, because it is one of the main sources of tax, he said during last year's sessions of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
"Smoking harms health but a curb on smoking would upset social stability," he said.
That, however, is not the whole truth, said Yang. "Even highly effective smoking control won't reduce the number of Chinese smokers substantially because of the steady increase in the country's population."
"So it won't affect the country's tobacco industry in the next 20 to 30 years when the smoking population would remain around 300 million."
"That is a long enough time for tobacco firms to shift to new ventures and help sustain the country's tax earnings," she said, and suggested that government functions be separated from tobacco business management.
Questions:
1. How many of China’s 130 million children between the ages of 13 and 18 have tried smoking?
2. What is the World Health Organization urging China to do?
3. Why does the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration say China still needs the tobacco industry?
4. What does the deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggest the government should do?
Answers:
1. 40 million.
2. To totally ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
3. Because it is one of the main sources of tax for the country and curbing smoking would upset social stability.
4. The government should separate its functions from tobacco business management.
（英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries
