Beijing's smoking population drops by 200,000

BEIJING — The number of smokers in Beijing has dropped by about 200,000, three years after the city adopted its strictest tobacco control regulation, the municipal health authority said Wednesday.

The adult smoking rate in Beijing is 22.3 percent, or 3.99 million smokers, 200,000 fewer than the figure in 2015, the city's commission for health improvement said.

A total of 61 hospitals have opened smoking cessation clinics. The number of tobacco control volunteers has approached 15,000 citywide. About 1,600 departments and over 7,300 individuals were punished over violations of tobacco control regulations.

Medical establishments, schools and hotels have a relatively high compliance rate for smoking control regulations, while small restaurants, office buildings and entertainment venues continue to pose difficulties for regulators.