China Medical News

According to the municipal health authority in 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 city's commission for health improvement said that the adult smoking rate in Beijing is now 22.3%, or 3.99 million smokers, which is 200,000 less than the figure in 2015.

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 the regulators. (Source: Xinhua)