(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-17 07:18

A forum on tobacco control on Sunday in Beijing adopted a proposal urging governments at all levels to set an example by creating cigarette-free working environments and requiring civil servants to act as models by not smoking in public.

China ratified the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control two years ago. There are only three years left for us to fulfill our commitment to having 100 percent control of tobacco in public places.

It is an uphill battle. China is reported to have 350 million smokers, and 540 million non-smokers are vulnerable to the harm of second-hand smoke. The general public is not as aware as it could be about the health problems caused by smoking, even though all cigarette packaging bears the message "smoking is harmful to your health".

There are signs that great efforts are being made to promote public awareness of the harms of smoking. A professor sued a cigarette manufacturer for failing to display any warnings on its packaging about the negative effects smoking has on teeth. He asked for 350 yuan ($47) in compensation to pay to have his teeth cleaned.

The professor has lost the case. But the 350 yuan was less important than the symbolism of the move. It increased the pressure on cigarette producers and the incident will raise public awareness of the harms of smoking.

In a similar case, a 17-year-old boy sued 24 cigarette makers, accusing them of failing to publicize the health hazards associated with smoking on their websites. He said he had been misled into believing that smoking was acceptable behavior. The boy did not ask for a penny in compensation, demanding instead that the cigarette makers dedicate a portion of their websites to discussing the health problems caused by smoking.

The forum's proposal, which was signed by the minister of public health and some other high-ranking officials, shows the level of official support for individual actions to call for stricter controls on tobacco. This gesture, if it is followed by administrative rules to prohibit civil servants from smoking in offices and other public places, will strengthen anti-smoking efforts.

(China Daily 12/17/2007 page4)