Number of Young Smokers Tends to Rise in China

It is reported from the meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Chinese Smoking and Health Association, more juveniles are becoming smokers and the number of young smokers has risen to 50 million. Therefore, experts appeal for keeping the juveniles away from tobaccos

China, a large tobacco production and consumption country in the world, now has 320 million smokers, accounting for 1/4 of the world's total smokers. According to the third National Epidemiological Survey conducted in China, 37.62 per cent of the people in the age group of 15 and beyond are smokers, and compared to 1984, people have begun smoking by three years earlier than before and the average daily amount of cigarettes they take has increased by two.

Medical research shows that 25 kinds of diseases, including lung cancer, cardio-vascular and coronary heart diseases, that endanger people's health are related to smoking. At present, 3.5 million people die of smoking-related diseases each year, if actions are not taken, then, the number of people die of smoking-related diseases will shoot up to an annual 10 million by the year 2030. According to a report, in recent years, the number of people die of lung cancer has risen at an annual rate of 4.5 percent. Experts have pointed out that about 3 million people will die from smoking each year by the middle of next century if the present smoking situation is not changed.



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