An estimated 316 million people smoke in China, almost a quarter of the population, and concerns are growing about the long-term effects on public health and the economy. Major cities including Beijing and Shanghai having recently moved to ban public smoking, with Shanghai's prohibition going into effect in March. But Chinese and international health officials argue that more is needed, including a nationwide public smoking ban, higher cigarette taxes and more aggressive health warnings. Such actions are "critically important," Yuan Jiang, director of tobacco control for the Chinese Center for Disease Control, said in a statement released with Wednesday's study. A public smoking ban appeared imminent last year.

Source: The China Post May 31, 2017 09:56 UTC