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Major recent decreases in smoking:


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How many people die from smoking in China each year?

2,704,354

What is the economic cost of smoking and tobacco use in China each year?

1,790,324,506,624

yuan renminbis

Current Rates of Smoking and Tobacco Use in China

Tobacco use continues to be an epidemic in China. Government complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic protects the tobacco industry in China as the death toll grows each year. Proponents of healthier societies must push for the implementation of evidence-based best practices in tobacco control to create change and reduce the negative effects of tobacco use.

Adult Smoking Prevalence in China

15+ years old; 2019

Men

49.7%

Women

3.5%

Adult smoking prevalence in China is 27%.

Number of Adult Smokers in China

15+ years old; 2019

Men

318,075,712

Women

23,188,086

Number of adult smokers in China is 341,263,776.

Youth Smoking Prevalence in China

10-14 years old; 2019

Men

0.9%

Women

0.6%

Youth smoking prevalence in China is 1%.

Adult Smokeless Tobacco Use in China

15+ years old; smokeless tobacco includes snus, chewing tobacco, gutkha, etc.; 2019

Both Men and Women

1%

Adult smokeless tobacco use prevalence in China is 1%.

Deaths Caused by Tobacco in China

% deaths attributable to tobacco use in 2019

Men

35%

Women

11.8%

25% of all deaths in China are caused by tobacco use.

Negative Effect of Tobacco Use in China

Tobacco use harms both the public and fiscal health of China, threatening efforts to improve equity, alleviate poverty, and protect the environment.

Harms Impact

Societal Harms

The economic cost of smoking China is 1,790,324,506,624 yuan renminbis. This includes direct costs related to healthcare expenditures and indirect costs related to lost productivity caused by illness and premature death.

Harms Impact

Harms Development

Tobacco spending diverts funds from the resources that families need to rise out of poverty. On average in China, a smoker must spend 2.10% of GDP per capita to buy 100 packs of the most popular cigarettes in a year.

Harms Impact

Environmental Harms

Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded pieces of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 533,220 tons of butts wind up as toxic trash in China each year, equal to 152,349 female African elephants.

Harms Impact

Harms Health Equity

The tobacco industry markets its products aggressively to lower-income populations and youth in China.

Harms Impact

Harms NCDs

Not only is smoking a major risk factor for the 4 largest noncommunicable diseases (cancer, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes), but people living with mental illness are nearly 2x as likely to smoke as other individuals.

Learn more about Health Effects.

Impact of the Tobacco Supply Chain on China

The tobacco industry profits significantly from producing and selling tobacco. At the same time, across the tobacco supply chain, there are significant negative health and economic repercussions for China.

Harms Impact

Tobacco Production

There were approximately 2355 billion cigarettes produced in China in 2016.

Harms Impact

Tobacco Industry

The total revenue of the 6 largest tobacco companies in the world was USD 336 billion in 2019, about the same as Viet Nam's Gross National Income (GNI), 5x Ghana's GNI and 9x Paraguay's GNI.

Harms Impact

Tobacco Growing

There were 2611610 tons of tobacco produced in China in 2019 on 1156365 hectares of quality agricultural land that could have been used to grow food.

Learn more about global Product Sales and Growing.

Ending the Tobacco Epidemic in China

Fortunately, there are evidence-based—i.e. proven—solutions to the challenges posed by tobacco use. For several decades, governments around the world have been introducing a set of policies that address the demand for tobacco products, particularly among youth. These policies effectively reduce consumption and are cost-effective because they save goverments enormous amounts of money in health care spending and increase economic productivity.

Current Tobacco Control Policies in China

Designated Smoke-Free Areas in China

No

Healthcare Facilities

No

Educational Facilities

No

Universities

No

Government Facilities

No

Indoor Offices

No

Restaurants

No

Pubs and Bars

Yes

Public Transport

N/A

All Other Indoor Public Places

No

Funds for Enforcement

Availability of Cessation Services in China

Quitting Resources

NRT and/or some cessation services (at least one of which is cost-covered)

National Quit Line

No

Learn more about best practices in Cessation.

Tobacco Packaging Regulations in China

Quality of Tobacco Packaging Regulation

None

Text warning label only

Graphic warning label only

Plain Packaging with graphic warning label

% of Pack Covered

35%

Learn more about best practices in Counter Marketing.

Tobacco Control Mass Media Campaigns in China

Ran a National Anti-Tobacco Campaign

Yes

Part Of A Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program

Yes

Pre-Tested With The Target Audience

Yes

Target Audience Research Was Conducted

Yes

Aired On Television And/Or Radio

Yes

Utilized Media Planning

Yes

Earned Media/Public Relations Were Used To Promote The Campaign

Yes

Process Evaluation Was Used To Assess Implementation

Yes

Outcome Evaluation Was Used To Assess Effectiveness

Yes

Learn more about best practices in Mass Media.

Tobacco Tax Policies in China

Using evidence-based international recommendations/best practices, the Tobaccononomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard assesses four components of tax systems — price, change in affordability, tax share, and structure — on a scale of 0 to 5, where a higher score is preferred.

Overall Score

0.88

The overall score is an average of the four component scores.

Cigarette Price

1

Consumers respond to higher prices by decreasing consumption and some quit using tobacco.

Change in Affordability Over Time

0

In addition to price, change in affordability is critical. Cigarettes need to become less affordable for consumption to decline.

Tax Share of Price

1.5

Large tax shares of price are usually a good indicator that taxes are working.

Tax Structure

1

Best practices include relying more on uniform specific excise taxes that are adjusted regularly to outpace growth and inflation.

Learn more about the Scorecard in China.

Regulations on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship (TAPS) in China

Marketing is the key avenue that tobacco companies use to reach consumers, new and old. Restricting or eliminating marketing is key to tobacco control success.

Direct Bans 7 out of 7 direct bans implemented

National TV and radio

Yes

International TV and radio

Yes

Local magazines and newspapers

Yes

International magazines and newspapers

Yes

Billboard and outdoor advertising

Yes

Advertising at point of sale

Yes

Advertising on internet

Yes

Ad Ban Compliance: 70%

Indirect Bans 1 out of 10 indirect bans implemented

Free distribution in mail or through other means

No

Promotional discounts

No

Non-tobacco products identified with tobacco brand names

No

Brand name of non-tobacco products used for tobacco product

No

Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco brands (product placement)

Yes

Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco products

No

Prescribed anti-tobacco ads required for any visual entertainment media product that depicts tobacco products, use or images

No

Complete ban on sponsorship

No

Any form of contribution (financial or other support) to any event, activity or individual

No

Ban on the publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry of events, activities, individuals

No

Ad Ban Compliance: 70%

Source: GTCR