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Beijing Really is the Big Smoke

Published: 2010-06-22    Views:83 reads

 

The smoking rate among Beijingers is above the national average according to research released on Wednesday by the Beijing health bureau, and more than 80 percent of smokers don't view tobacco addiction as a disease.

The survey, conducted from January through May, covered more than 2,000 residents aged from 18 to 89 and found that 34 percent of respondents smoke. The percentage of male and female smokers was 60.2 and 4.8 percent respectively. The national average is 57.4 and 2.6 percent.

"Although the non-smoking campaign in the medical departments is going well, with more than 40 percent of them reaching the target we set, the high smoking rates among residents is not so optimistic," said Zeng Xiaopeng, general director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zeng said the city's anti-smoking project would be further promoted among communities, especially in residential clinics.

"We will consider training more doctors for medical guidance in the clinics. People will be able to get counseling services in the future and we hope doctors will spend five minutes giving a non-smoking lecture to each patient," he said.

According to the report, about 40 percent of all smokers have a severe addiction. Nearly 50 percent tried to quit, but less than 40 percent were able to sustain their non-smoking beyond three months. While more than 60 percent of smokers are planning to quit, fewer than 10 percent are considering asking a doctor for help.

"Most smokers don't choose medical treatment as the first choice to quit as some believe determination is the best way out," he said. "But actually, medical support is often necessary," said Zhi Xiuyi from Capital Medicine University.

As a doctor who has promoted the non-smoking campaign for more than 10 years, Zhi said medical professionals from big hospitals should be encouraged to provide free lessons in non-smoking control in residential areas.

Currently there are about 10 public hospitals in Beijing that offer both mental and medical treatment to smokers, and the cost for quitting is between 400 and 1,000 yuan.

In order to reach the goal of banning smoking in all medical sectors by the end of this year, officials from the city's health committee announced early this week the penalty for smokers who light up in non-smoking areas may soon be increased.

The survey also showed that about 60 percent of residents were aware that smoking can cause apoplexy and impotence, an improvement on the national average.