E-cigarette use, secondhand smoke exposure in Shanghai fall

Both the rates of e-cigarette use and secondhand smoke exposure declined in Shanghai last year, according to data released by the city's health authorities on Wednesday, which marked World No Tobacco Day.

Data released by the Shanghai Health Promotion Center and the Shanghai Tobacco Control Association show that the usage rate of e-cigarettes among adults in this city was 1.1 percent last year, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared with 2021. The proportion of non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke was 41.7 percent, a drop of 9.8 percentage points year-on-year.

The data last year also shows that more than one in five smokers in the city plan to quit smoking within the next 12 months, a rise of 6.4 percentage points from 2021. Moreover, the proportion of smokers who attempted to quit smoking within the past 12 months rose from 19.9 percent in 2021 to 22 percent in 2022.

The Shanghai Health Promotion Center said that Shanghai's highest average life expectancy in the country is closely related to its strict smoking controls. It reminded smokers to consciously abide by the indoor smoking ban and smoke at designated areas outdoors.