Advocates continue to push for tougher tobacco regulations in China. (Photo : www.blog.kerrygaynormethod.com)
A recent report has exposed that an alarming number of young students in Beijing are regularly exposed to tobacco despite strict anti-smoking regulations and newly revised laws regarding advertising, as reported by CRIEnglish.
The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention released the report.
According to the report, more than 25 percent of primary and middle schools are within 100 meters of a cigarette store.
Guo Xin, a representative from the center, said that several tobacco stores that sell cigarettes around schools sell food and stationery as well. Students looking to eat or shopping for school supplies are then exposed to tobacco advertising that is permitted at these stores.
Tobacco stores have also changed their strategies to meet the particular needs of these young students, added Guo.
"Young students usually don't have enough money to buy a whole box of cigarettes and they can be easily caught by parents and teachers when carrying a large number of cigarettes. So many tobacco stores have changed their selling strategies, allowing students to buy one cigarette each time. This kind of promotion is a great allure to minors," said Guo.
Around 64 percent of tobacco stores found around schools have failed to put up any warning signs that explicitly state that tobacco will not be sold to minors, according to the information on the report.
Beijing's new tobacco control rules have been in effect since June 1 last year. Tobacco sales within 100 meters of school campuses, as well as the sale of cigarettes to minors, have been banned.
Huang Jinrong, a law expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, opine that authorities must put greater efforts into controlling cigarette sales to minors.
"Officials from Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce should give more severe punishments to tobacco stores that are caught selling tobaccos to minors. The authorities from China Tobacco can also revoke these stores' permissions for selling tobacco," said Huang.
Mao Qunan from the National Health and Family Planning Commission said that they will implement measures to ban tobacco sales and advertising within 100 meters of campuses.
"We will set up laws to promote a 100 percent smoking-free environment around school campuses this year. We will also push for the implementation of smoking bans across the country. Also, we will strengthen our monitoring system," said Mao.
More than 6 percent of Chinese youth under 15 smoke, according to the latest survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey also said that 23 percent have tried smoking.
