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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 15, 2002

China's Tobacco Industry Aims at Lower Tar Level

The average tar level in China- made cigarettes has been reduced to 15 milligrams, compared with 30 milligrams two decades ago, according to the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration. Meanwhile, the STMA has for the past four years launched a publicity campaign on harms smoking may bring about.


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Restriction on tar level

The average tar level in China- made cigarettes has been reduced to 15 milligrams, compared with 30 milligrams two decades ago, according to the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA).

This represents one of China's efforts in alleviating the health hazards of smoking. The STMA said that it has set the goal of reducing the average tar level by 0.5 milligrams every year from now on.

Zhou Ruizeng, director of the General Office of the STMA, said that in order to promote technological innovation, China has stipulated that cigarettes are not permitted to be sold in markets unless their tar level is under 17 milligrams.

At present, China has 16 tobacco factories whose technology centers have been ratified.

Publicity campaign

Meanwhile, the STMA, together with other departments concerned, has for the past four years launched a publicity campaign on harms smoking may bring about. The campaign includes a series of activities such as competitions in calligraphy, photography, and chess playing. Last year alone, nearly ten million students took part in such activities.

The STMA also ruled that all cigarette retailers and distributors should put signs on their counters to warn youngsters of the danger of smoking.



Numerous studies have shown that smoking is bad for health. Many of the diseases related to smoking can even cause death. No one should smoke.

But some of those who are already addicted to smoking may think that filters protect them from smoking's harmful effects. All research suggests that this is not so. The effects of filters seem to be minimal. New information was released indicating that low-tar cigarettes may be just as dangerous as the regular brands, causing a whole different kind of cancer that reaches even deeper into the lungs.

Low-tar cigarettes may be just as dangerous

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