Govt warns public on e-cigarettes

The government is encouraging people to keep away from e-cigarettes for the first time, as a proposal on smoking control was released in Beijing on Thursday.

Electronic cigarettes, which are promoted as a way to help smokers quit tobacco, are included in the proposal encouraging people to quit smoking.

As part of the Healthy China Initiative (2019-2030), the government aims to reduce the smoking rate of the population above 15 years to 24.5 percent in 2022 and 20 percent in 2030. Last year, the smoking rate of the population above 15 was 26.6 percent.

According to the proposal, about 1 million people nationwide die annually of diseases related to smoking or passive smoking, at a great loss to the economy and the nation’s healthcare system.

Li Bin, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, said at a news conference that preventive measures are the key to smoking control.

According to the Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO), there is not enough evidence to assess the health impacts of e-cigarettes or support that vaping will help people quit smoking.