Proportion of smokers has fallen, survey finds

Tobacco control efforts have led to a fall in the proportion of Beijing's population who smoke over the past six years, according to a survey released on Wednesday - less than two weeks before the capital's toughest restrictions yet come into force.

The smoking rate among people ages 15 and above was 23.4 percent last year, 4 percentage points lower than in 2008. This means there were 4.19 million smokers in Beijing in 2014, according to the study.

The survey covered 8,484 people and was conducted in 2,548 public areas and workplaces, 314 restaurants and 100 communities between May and December last year. It was organized by the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Capital Medical University.