In China smoking is BIG. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of Tobacco, producing nearly 42% of the worlds’ cigarettes. A whopping 350 million Chinese smokers (10x Canada’s population) consume more than 2.3 trillion per year.
Why is smoking so prevalent in China? Firstly packs range from $0.20 – $10, while some luxury brands are $50 a pack! This makes smoking extremely affordable while making expensive cigarettes a major status symbol.
Additionally, Smoking has become a cultural norm. Business meetings are often a non-stop tobacco fiasco, as are elevator rides, meals and even hospital visits. 60% of Chinese doctors are smokers, setting a bad example for the already misinformed population.
According to BMJ research; 2/3 of Chinese smokers think smoking does little to no harm and 96% don’t know it causes heart disease. So the question is, shouldn’t something be done?
There are laws, however, enforcement has been flimsy at best. Why is the government lackadaisical about this epidemic? Patrick Chovanec, the MBA professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics, argues in his blog that enforcing these laws are not in the interests of the government as they profited ¥513 Billion ($77 Billion US) from tobacco in 2009.
As canadians how can we change these problems in the world?
???? In the post editor it shows my whole article but on the blog it is incomplete?