Tobacco Documents Online

I1KE132f01y Nor,; .,,. . ~;. Joint Declaration from Ministries of Health; Finance; Agriculture; and Light Industry, The Peoples' Republic of China, on "publically atnouneing the harmful effects of cigarette smoking and 'regulatory mea.,~es for smok- ing control". . , &iarg[ti.ng Ribao SeptHnber 1979 Peking The Ministry of Health, PRf:, conducted a survey in two high sctools in Peking. It was found that before the cultural revolution, students seldom s7mked; but now smoking is a conmon phaiomena as approacimatei.y 50'/ of the male students smoke. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the cigarette retail volume in 1965 was 4,646.000 cases, each case containing 10,000 units. This number reached 11,492,D00 cases in 1977, an increase of 1.5 times. These statistics indicate the populasity of cigarette usage in China. Cigarette smoking is harmful to health and the problem should be dealt with seriously; therefore, it is necessary to make it widely ka~nm that smoking is a health hazard and the smoking habit should be regulated. This was the report which the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Light Industry jointly presented to the State Council.. Recently, the State Council announced the acc=;.`.ance of this report. We should strergthen our propaganda, broaden our educational bases, and take necessary measures in order that the whole population might realize the dangers of smoking and stop, or never start scroking. These approaches are quite important in reducing the risks of smr;king and proanting public health. , The report made the followirrg 6 suggestions: 1. Reconrnend to central, provincial, m.ttnicipal and local newspapers; science and popular bulletins; radio and television rredia; Peoples' Libera- tion Axnry; Workers' Union; 1Joma1's Union; and CarmuList Youth organizations, that they canduct a broad propaganda program to distribute to all levels of the population the scientific knowledge concerning the harmful effects of smoking on health. - 2. Request (a) that the Ministry of Culture's Movi.e Producing Department produce a scientific, ed,ucational film within this year; (b) the provincial, m.micipal, and regional information offices create posters, illustrations and slides; and (c) that the local publications and health bulletins provide information declaring smoking is dangerous to health and encourage oeople to stop croking. 3. Produce less harmful tobacco through modified tobacco production and select low nicotine varieties. In cigarette manufacture, place erphasis on and increase the ratio of filter cigarettes. Request that Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Light Industry, C=merce, and Marketing Cooperatives jointly establish certain standards and methods for reducing harmful constit- uents in tobacco smoke. These standards and methods will be put into action

-- ., r,_... _---X;-- N Kel 328015 .7- f I . upon authorization of the State Council. 4: To maintain clean air and to pp-otect'public health, request `No STf)KI1VG' in public areas such as hospitals, public meeting places, theaters, rnrrseries, buses, and other group activity areas with poor circnlatioa.a In certain well-equiped public'areas, an isolated smoking area may be provided. 5. Recogti.zing.the fact that youth, in the active growing and devel- oping stage, are most susceptible to the harmful effKts of smoking, we request that the Ministry of Education conduct special information education on the dangexs of smking, and as a rule, prohibit students in college, high school, and grade school fr® smQking. 6. All health department clinics in each province, aamicipality, and region, should consider that "samking is daqgerous to health" educational prograuis are an important long-range assigrnent, and carry out the mission to a successful end as described in ite¢s 4 and 5 above. Upon the acceptance of this report by the State Council on July 23, the Ministries of Health, Finance, Agriculture, and Ltght Industry jointly announced the harmful effects of cigarette smoking and their measures for regulating smoking. It is expected that all levels of goverrment will widely distribute infornnation on the hazmful effects of smoking and will take strcmg measures to reduce the risks in~'volved. Translated by T. C. Tso, SeRtember 27, 1979 Ilk