A Tianjin medical expert examines (left) the X-ray picture of a cancer patient at a Tianjin Medical University and China Anti-Cancer Association free medical consultation and anti-smoking campaign to arouse public awareness about the dangers of smoking.
Though free to the public, the event costs more than 200,000 yuan for the organizers.
Smoking is one of the key causes of cancer and responsible for 22 to 38 percent of cancer-related deaths, says Hao Xishan, president of Tianjin Medical University and China Anti-Cancer Association.
"In China, 540 million people are exposed to second-hand smoke, among whom 180 million are children," says Hao.
"Therefore, it is crucial to discourage smoking for the sake of preventing cancer, especially to prohibit smoking around and by children," Hao says.
There are currently around 350 million smokers in China, with the average age of first-time smokers about 15, compared with 19.7 in 2002 and 22.4 in 1984.
(China Daily 04/28/2008 page8)