Findings from 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey: implementation of MPOWER policy in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the implementation of five key tobacco control policies in China: protection from second-hand smoke (SHS); offering help to quit; health warnings regarding tobacco use; the enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and increasing tobacco taxes and prices.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using 2010 Global Adults Tobacco Survey in China (GATS-China), 10 indicators are used to assess the implementation of five key tobacco control policies of MPOWER in China.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Overall, 63.3% and 72.7% of adults noticed people smoking indoor workplaces and public places, respectively. Approximately 60% of smokers were not asked about their smoking habits and approximately 67% were not advised to quit on their visit to a health worker. Sixty percent of adults noticed health warning messages on cigarette packaging and in the media in the last 30 days, 63.6% stated that they would not consider quitting. Twenty percent of respondents noticed tobacco advertising, promotion, and/or sponsorship activities in the 30 days prior to the survey. Among them, 76.3% noticed the direct advertising and 50% noticed from TV programs. Although purchasing price of one pack of cigarettes ranged from 1 to 200 RMB, 50% of current smokers (about 150 million) spent 5 RMB or less on one pack of cigarette. The expenditure on 100 packets of cigarettes represents 2% of 2009 GDP per capita.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The average score for the implementation of the 5 policies of MPOWER in China is 37.3 points, indicating tobacco control policies in China is poor and there is a large gaps from the FCTC requirements.</p>

Population-based survey of secondhand smoke exposure in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the extent of secondhand smoke exposure in China, and to explore the potential associated factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study was a nationally representative household survey examining secondhand smoke exposure of non-institutionalized men and women aged 15 and older using a global standardized geographically clustered sample design. A total of 13,354 people completed the individual questionnaire with questions on gender, age, educational level, residence, profession, potential factors associated with secondhand smoke exposure, and workplace smoking policy. The data were used to determine whole population estimates of secondhand smoke exposure.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among non-smokers aged 15 years and older, it was estimated that 72.4% (556 million) were exposed to secondhand smoke, with 52.5% (292 million) exposed to secondhand smoke daily. The prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure was 74.1% for men, 71.6% for women, 70.5% for urban populations, and 74.2% for rural populations. The rates were 67.3%, 63.3%, and 72.7% respectively, within the household, indoor workplaces and public places. Secondhand smoke exposure was significantly reduced in workplaces with a smoking ban but not in workplaces with a partial smoking ban.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although China has made some progress toward a smoke-free environment there remains a high degree of exposure to secondhand smoke.</p>

Awareness of tobacco-related health hazards among adults in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the level of awareness of the hazards of tobacco smoking and secondhand smoke inhalation among adults in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Household surveys were conducted with a total of 13,354 respondents aged 15 years or over from 100 counties of 28 Chinese provinces using a stratified multi-stage geographically clustered sample design.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The findings revealed that 81.8% of the population was aware that smoking causes serious diseases, and 27.2% and 38.7% were aware that smoking causes stroke and heart attack, respectively. Only 64.3% of respondents were aware that secondhand smoke can cause serious diseases, and 27.5%, 51.0%, and 52.6% were aware that secondhand smoke causes heart disease in adults, lung disease in children and lung cancer in adults, respectively. Awareness regarding smoking-related hazards across all participants was significantly associated with several factors, including gender, smoking status, urban/rural residency, education level and exposure to tobacco control publicity in the last 30 days. Awareness regarding tobacco-related hazards in smokers was significantly associated with urban/rural residency, education level, exposure to tobacco control publicity in the last 30 days, and physician's advice. Awareness relating to the hazards of inhaling secondhand smoke was associated with smoking status, urban/rural residency, age, education level, and exposure to tobacco control publicity in the last 30 days. Medical professionals were found to know more about the health hazards of tobacco compared with people in other types of employment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Overall awareness of the health hazards of tobacco has improved in the last 15 years in China, but is still relatively poor. Improved means of communicating information and more effective warning labels on cigarette packaging are necessary for increasing public awareness of tobacco hazards, particularly among rural residents and people with less education.</p>