Smoking rate drops in Shanghai

The smoking rate for Shanghai residents aged 15 and above is 20.2 percent, down from 21 percent in 2016, said a recently released report.

The smoking rate for male residents is 38.4 percent, and 0.8 percent for females. The number of cigarettes smoked daily by smokers is 13.4 per person, up by 0.2 cigarette from that of 2016.

The report is based on an investigation initiated by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning in 2017. A total of 3,312 questionnaires were completed.

The rate of non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoking dropped from 58.5 percent in 2016 to 50.6 percent in 2017, according to the report.

Some 17.6 percent of the smokers said they were considering quitting smoking within a year, and 3.5 percent within a month.

Since March 1, 2017, smoking in indoor areas of hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, as well as airports, and train and port stations has been banned in Shanghai.