Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    Twelve percent of surveyed middle school students in Shenzhen have tried smoking cigarettes, the city’s chronic disease control and prevention center recently announced.

    Sixteen percent of those students who had tried smoking had tried a cigarette in the past 30 days, while 27 percent of them smoked more than five cigarettes a day and 10 percent had more than 10 cigarettes a day.

    Most students said they often smoked outside schools and homes and their parents did not know about their smoking.

    The center conducted the smoking control survey among more than 7,000 students across the city’s schools and released the results on Friday, marking World No-Tobacco Day.

    Fifty-three percent of the surveyed students had parents who smoked, and about 40 percent had friends who smoked regularly.

    Forty-five percent of students were subjected to secondhand smoke in their homes, while more than 60 percent cited secondhand smoke in public areas.

    Eighty-nine percent of the surveyed students said they had been taught in school about smoking’s health risks.

    More than 40 percent knew that smoking can cause diseases such as strokes, cancer and heart problems, while 62 percent knew that even secondhand smoke could cause diseases such as cancer and heart problems.

    Although the city’s students have strong knowledge about smoking, according to the survey, that could be counteracted by frequent exposure to smoking advertisements and logos. Some students said they thought it was very cool to watch actors and actresses smoke in TV programs, the survey said.

    The center has advised students to stay away from smoking, because it can harm their health and might violate school rules. The center also suggested that schools and parents pay special attention to students and prevent them from violating smoking bans.

    “According to research, children view smoking as more acceptable and are more likely to become smokers if their parents smoke, so it is very important for parents to quit smoking and create a no-tobacco environment for their children,” the center said.