At the
ongoing annual national legislative session, Chinese lawmakers should adopt a
raft of measures such as smoke-free public places to curb smoking, the WHO's
country representative Bernhard Schwartlaender tells DW.
Deutsche Welle, 9 March 2015
China is
one of the major consumers of tobacco in the world. The country is home to
hundreds of millions of smokers, leading to widespread concerns about the
impact of smoking on public health. Cigarette smoking affects not only those
who smoke, but also other non-smokers by exposing them to second-hand smoke,
which is estimated to affect around 740 million Chinese.
Furthermore,
more than one million people are losing their lives every year due to the
ill-effects of tobacco consumption such as lung cancer, according to World
Health Organization (WHO) estimates. Against this backdrop, pressure is
mounting on the Chinese government to step up its efforts to tackle the smoking
problem of the population.
As part of
the measures, a draft national regulation banning smoking in all indoor and
some outdoor public places, and requiring stronger warning labels on tobacco
products, is before the country's State Council.
The
government, however, wants to go even further and is mulling a host of policies
to curb smoking. The issue of public health is also likely to be one of the
main topics of discussion at the ongoing annual meeting of China's National
People's Congress (NPC), the country's legislature. The Standing Committee of
the NPC is currently considering changes to the national Advertising Law to
strengthen restrictions on tobacco advertising.
 |
| Schwartlaender: 'If you smoke, you will most likely die an early, and probably very painful, death' |
In this
context, Bernhard Schwartlaender, WHO Representative in China, says in a DW
interview that action against tobacco is urgent in China and that it is the
single most important measure that can be taken towards better health for
Chinese people.
DW: Why is
the dealing with the tobacco issue so important for China at the moment?
Bernhard
Schwartlaender: More than one million people die every year in China as a
result of tobacco use. This figure will increase to three million by 2050 if
current smoking rates remain unchanged.
Acting on
tobacco is therefore urgent - and may be the single most important measure that
can be taken towards better health for Chinese people. We know what the problem
is, and we know what needs to be done.
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How is
smoking affecting the health of the Chinese people?
China is
the largest tobacco producer and consumer in the world. Nearly one-third of the
world's one billion smokers are Chinese men. Every minute, two people in China
die as a result of an illness caused by tobacco smoking.
The very
high rates of tobacco smoking in China, especially among men, are not consistent
with the aspiration for all Chinese people to live long and happy lives. The
scientific and health evidence is unequivocal. If you smoke, you will most
likely die an early, and probably very painful, death.
What
progress has China made in this field?
China has
made some progress recently - for instance, the capital Beijing will become
smoke-free from 1 June, and a draft national law to ban smoking in public
places is before the State Council right now.
What
important health measures are set to be discussed at this year's NPC?
The NPC
Standing Committee is currently considering changes to the national Advertising
Law to strengthen restrictions on tobacco advertising. A draft national
regulation to ban smoking in all indoor and some outdoor public places, and
requiring stronger warning labels on tobacco products, is before the State
Council.
Now, strong
political commitment is needed, along with steely determination to stare down
interference from the vested interests of the tobacco industry. This will translate
the promise of progress into strong, well-enforced tobacco control policies
which save lives.
 |
| 'Strong political commitment is needed to stare down interference from the ested interests of the tobacco industry' |
What do you
urge the National People's Congress to do?
We urge
China's lawmakers to adopt the full suite of policy measures contained in the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) - such as smoke-free
public places, complete ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship,
graphic warnings on tobacco packs, raising tobacco taxes, and providing more
support to smokers to quit.
Experience
from around the world has shown that these policies lead to lower smoking
rates, and fewer people dying preventable tobacco-related deaths.
Dr Bernhard
Schwartlaender is the Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in
China.
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