Two men smoke cigarettes on a street in Beijing. Over 300 million people in China
are regular smokers, most of them men.

Beijing (CNN) -- Today, smoking remains a stubborn habit because it is an integral part of Chinese social life. Offering a cigarette is a common way to greet someone, a handy ice-breaker especially in awkward situations (I myself used to do that until I quit smoking 30 years ago).

More than 300 million people in China are regular smokers, most of them men, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in 2009-2010. Increasingly, large numbers of women and teenagers have also taken up the habit.

The survey, jointly conducted by the China Center for Disease Control, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, shows that seven out of 10 adults reported being exposed to secondhand smoke in a typical week. Read more >>

Selected comments from foreign netizens:

Tienhoa:
Absolutely, smoking is a habit as well as customary in China. It is very difficult cigarette addicts to give up their habit especially after a meal. The harm for health of smoking is acknowledged, however, the pleasant of smoking cigarettes overpowers the fears of their health. Thus, a campaign educating people about the health damage of cigarette is needed to lower a number amount of cigarette consumption.
1 week ago
Poiuy0
The Chinese government is always right. Since the Chinese government is not doing anything to reduce
smoking, Tienhoa must be WRONG. There is no need to lower the amount of cigarette consumption in China, because smoking is not harmful, to Chinese people. It is beneficial and necessary, just like dilberth said, to health of Chinese people.
As an effort to help Chinese people to advance their health, US tobacco farmers should export more tobacco to China, to reduce the problem of a shrinking market in America
1 week ago
Btangos
Everybody smoke in Pekin, but the worse : everybody spit
1 week ago
almond94
I agree, when I went to China and had a tour, everyone just spit on the road like it is a normal thing to do. In the restaurant, it was filled with the smell of smoke, and you can see the smoke fume. Urgh
1 week ago
Arpad101
Big Deal. Is cigarette smoking mass murder like in the west these days
1 week ago
Poiuy0
No. Smoking in China only killed 3 millions a year. Mao killed a whole lot more in a year. If you want to have mass murderers, wake Mao up.
1 week ago
truster
The Chinese take great pleasure and have much pride in totally ignoring rules, regulations and laws set by government. This can be seen in the complete disregard they have for traffic control and driving codes. ''Look at me I'm free'' ....seems to be the attitude and in some cases they have more fre... more
The Chinese take great pleasure and have much pride in totally ignoring rules, regulations and laws set by government. This can be seen in the complete disregard they have for traffic control and driving codes.
''Look at me I'm free'' ....seems to be the attitude and in some cases they have more freedom than we have in the UK.
1 week ago
Poiuy0
China should take its time, may be another 3000 years, to adopt to new technology that they learned in the last few decades. I know it is hard to change. So, take your time. Don't hurry. There is no need to hurry, and continue to enjoy your "freedom" -- See, I can ram anybody and won't get caug... more
China should take its time, may be another 3000 years, to adopt to new technology that they learned in the last few decades. I know it is hard to change. So, take your time. Don't hurry. There is no need to hurry, and continue to enjoy your "freedom" -- See, I can ram anybody and won't get caught. All I have to do is to yell "My Father is Li Gong"!!!
1 week ago
debatemaker
haha I can see the US getting out of debt by selling out tobacco products to China...
1 week ago
milesgone
many of the population there of course live in rural areas. due to that many have no idea that smoking is unhealthy. I am sure some in the city are the same, however being ingrained in the culture for so long.. well...... smoke if u got'em!
1 week ago
Billionaire7
Sounds like China is consistently culturally behind 80 years or so.
1 week ago
messiisbeast
the reason they dont have enough measures to restrict smoking laws its because they want the people to consume their 10 packs a day..they want the 3.5million deaths per year to be here already..they have very little resources for their population..and this is ONE of the ways to regulate it
1 week ago
Mrunnamed
haha, "Offering a cigarette is a common way to greet someone" and then "Smoking is estimated to kill more than one million Chinese a year. " It is the same way to say when you meet some Chinese, "Die as soon as possible"
1 week ago
pragmatist81
A real pet peeve of mine is having second-hand smoke blown all over me by inconsiderate smokers. Look, if you must inhale a cancer stick, go right ahead. You wouldn't fart in someone's face, so why is it acceptable to blow cigarette smoke all over other people on the street? Smokers in public should... more
A real pet peeve of mine is having second-hand smoke blown all over me by inconsiderate smokers. Look, if you must inhale a cancer stick, go right ahead. You wouldn't fart in someone's face, so why is it acceptable to blow cigarette smoke all over other people on the street? Smokers in public should be treated the same as lepers.
1 week ago
pjax
Sounds like China uses cigarettes as "Population Control". More than one million Chinese die a year from smoking? WOW!
1 week ago
jonseyslayer
It was estimated at the end of 22nd century, Chinese population will shrink by half. They are doing a big favor for the rest of the world at population control.
1 week ago
Blackstonex
Here we go again with your western stereotypes. Rural areas barely exist in china now, with the population this high, there are more cities than suburbs. As for knowing cigarettes are unhealthy, everyone in china knows, the warnings are printed on the package with picture of black lungs. This articl... more
Here we go again with your western stereotypes. Rural areas barely exist in china now, with the population this high, there are more cities than suburbs. As for knowing cigarettes are unhealthy, everyone in china knows, the warnings are printed on the package with picture of black lungs. This article is out of time phrase, because this is no longer the china today. The population is starting to turn their cheeks on cigarettes, and each day more people are quitting. Im sick of reading these articles that purposely belittles another nation, for no apparent reason than making your ego bigger. The more you stay ignorant and stay in your little made up bubble, the more getting behind you will be. Focus on your own advancement and stop caring about others as much. Give a fare competition rather than your political sabotage of another ones image. If you still think China is this third world country, take a trip to china, as soon as you get to the Beijing airport, u'll see that JFK air port looks like a bathroom...
1 week ago
tuntin
Imagine if 1 billion Chinese smokers....global warming...
1 week ago
mechwd
Here in america we have a thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of smokers that die every year, we do nothing, yet a couple dozen babies die due to cribs, and Obama sets out to ban certain type of cribs. Double standards?
1 week ago
Corladys
I noticed a fatal, misleading wrong in the report, tho I just glanced through it. You said "Unlike some other countries, China does not require cigarette packaging to carry any warning about health hazards." "not...any.."?! Nonsense!!! Please gain enough f**ing evidence when you summit the news re... more
I noticed a fatal, misleading wrong in the report, tho I just glanced through it. You said "Unlike some other countries, China does not require cigarette packaging to carry any warning about health hazards." "not...any.."?! Nonsense!!! Please gain enough f**ing evidence when you summit the news report of abroad. Can you please Give me a China-made which is bought in China cigarette box/package THAT not showing "Smoking is harmful to your health,Quitting Smoking is Good To Your Health" To tell you the truth, This warning is explicitly,clearly printed in both Chinese and English. And The English version warning is Just like that,above.( Smoking is harmful to your health,Quitting Smoking is Good To Your Health ) Just to the contrary of what you said, ALL CIGARETTE PACKAGE SELLING IN CHINA WITH A HEALTH-HARM-LIKE WARNING, IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH!
Believe it or not, come to China and go check it yourself!
What a rubbish report !
Hope you gain the whole evidence before you give the world misleading info.
But unsurprisingly, CNN, NYT like media always lack a justice and with a biased to China. Sometimes I can't image how you such person could be a reporters and journalist. And I can't image how your mind developed.
1 week ago
juliebessy
Communism will always exist in China because of its women. China is a matriarchal culture with little education. The least these guys can do is smoke a cigarette. For a lot of men, it is all they have. Basically, their lives are exposed through their women. The culture maintains that women just... more
Communism will always exist in China because of its women. China is a matriarchal culture with little education. The least these guys can do is smoke a cigarette. For a lot of men, it is all they have. Basically, their lives are exposed through their women. The culture maintains that women just stay at home, but the men expect to have a mother their whole life. It is crazy. Why not sell them cigarette
1 week ago
lapaganda
Have you ever been to China? In China, women work rate is higher than US.
1 week ago
dipesh
Quitting smoking is easy..just find a reason from the heart...I quit smoking after I realized that the cute girls in my office would prefer if I did not smell of tobacco...so I left smoking...it reduces the chances of catching cold..and many health benefits...eat chocolate instead...
1 week ago
snake130
I've been working in China for more than 6 year~~ even ppl in elevators smoke.... they have no respect for others~~
1 week ago
swift999
In all seriousness, between this and the pollution, it is not hard to see why the chinese are such failures in sports in everything but heavily government subsidized affairs such as specific olympic sports. FFS, china (population 1333 million) was celebrating a soccer win over 10-men Kuwait yesterd... more
In all seriousness, between this and the pollution, it is not hard to see why the chinese are such failures in sports in everything but heavily government subsidized affairs such as specific olympic sports. FFS, china (population 1333 million) was celebrating a soccer win over 10-men Kuwait yesterday (population 3 million) as if it were a major achievement.
1 week ago

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