Rising cancer rate leads to calls for smoking controls (3)

"The number of smokers has barely dropped over the years in Beijing, and passive smoking remains a public health issue," he said.

"The prevalence of lung cancer in the area right now is a reflection of the prevalence of smoking 20 years ago," said Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of the nongovernmental China Association on Tobacco Control, suggesting that a number of lung cancer patients this year were exposed to tobacco on a regular basis 20 years ago.

Yang Jie, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's tobacco control office, agreed.

"It's the result of accumulation. The number of smokers and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke has been so huge since the 1980s that it began to take effect now by lifting the prevalence of lung cancer year by year," he said. "If we start stricter tobacco control right now, we may see the incidence rate drop 20 years later."

To deal with the disease, the capital is working on several projects

We Recommend:
Cute girls and children in chilling China	'Devil bodyguard training camp' in Sanya	China through the lens of Japanese photographer
Cheongsam inspired by women's secret language	Outrage as little girls don bikinis at auto show	Body painting show attracts public's view
Tough nail household in Wenling, Zhejiang	'Gangnam style' life of young rich in China	Sexy models and fancy cars rock auto show