Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

A NEW survey released yesterday by the Tobacco Control Office of Shenzhen reported that 94.4 percent of the 1,405 nonsmoking venue operators and 3,254 citizens surveyed support the city’s tobacco control rules.

The record-high support comes after the city’s newly revised tobacco control regulations, which put more restrictions on the use of tobacco products including e-cigarettes, became effective Oct. 1, 2019.

The 2019-2020 survey on the effects of the city’s tobacco control regulations was led by the Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control. Respondents are widely distributed in the city’s 10 districts and new area.

The survey found that 67.8 percent of the respondents who smoke have smoked less and 2.3 percent have quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The top three reasons include protecting personal health (36.2 percent), the need to wear a mask (28.7 percent), and concerns about the harm of second-hand smoke to family members during home quarantine (19.9 percent).

Those surveyed are most pleased with the tobacco control efforts in medical institutions, schools and government agencies, and least satisfied with those of bars and nightclubs, Internet bars and arcades, and leisure venues.

Generally speaking, citizens are increasingly satisfied with the city’s tobacco control efforts, the survey showed. Some 61.8 percent of the respondents said fewer people are seen in the city’s nonsmoking places, while 5.8 percent believed that the contrary is true and things are on the up.

In terms of e-cigarettes, 83 percent of respondents said they know that e-cigarettes are banned in the city’s public places, while 72.2 percent e-cigarette smokers said they are smoking less or are trying to quit smoking.

However, the survey found that only 74.3 percent of no-smoking signs in the city’s nonsmoking places are up to standard, especially those in taxis and online ride-hailing vehicles.

Nearly half of the 1,285 nonsmoking places the survey team visited failed to update the new version of no-smoking sign that contains the e-cigarette symbol as required.

“Relevant departments should intensify law enforcement efforts and strengthen inspection in venues where illegal smoking is rampant,” said Xiong Jingfan with the smoke-free project in Shenzhen.