Shanghai ramps up smoking control measures

The overall situation of smoking control in Shanghai's public places has remained stable, with support from residents steadily increasing while challenges in some key areas persist, according to a white paper released by the Shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Committee Office.

In 2024, the proportion of legally designated non-smoking public areas without smoking utensils and indoor smoking rooms was 96.9 percent and 99.8 percent, respectively, remaining at almost the same level from the previous year, according to the 2024 White Paper on Smoking Control in Public Places in Shanghai.

Notably, 98.3 percent of survey respondents expressed support for comprehensive smoking bans, a 0.2 percentage point increase from 2023, demonstrating a growing recognition among residents for a smoke-free environment and the relevant policies supporting it.

However, the proportion of public areas without cigarette ends decreased by 1.7 percentage points to 91.5 percent last year. Also, the smoking incidence rate within legally designated non-smoking areas reached 13 percent, a 0.6 percentage point increase from 2023, with higher rates observed at entertainment venues, office and commercial buildings, dining places and public transportation waiting areas.

In response to such challenges, Shanghai's nine government departments recently issued a notice, outlining specific requirements for eight categories of key public locations, such as outdoor queuing areas, to further deepen the city's smoking control measures.

The office said it will further promote awareness among smokers to refrain from smoking while walking on the streets and encourage them to only smoke at designated areas.