It was 1:45 in the afternoon, a quarter of an hour before class time. Unlike his fellow students who were making preparations in the classroom, 12-year-old Qiao Yunlu (not his real name) was enjoying a last drag from a cigarette beside a school dustbin in the backyard.

A sixth-grader at Yuhui Elementary School in Chicheng County, Hebei Province, about four hours' drive from Beijing, Qiao started smoking at nine. He boasted that he could tell different brands of cigarette by the smell wafting smoke in the air.

"I like smoking 'Diamond' because it smells soft and pure. 'Camellia' is very special, having a sweet and tea-like taste," said Qiao with the air of a connoisseur despite his youthfulness.

Liu Song (not his real name), 15, is in his second grade at Chicheng No 2 Middle School, and has already been smoking for four years. Normally he smokes half a pack each day, but he achieved a record by smoking two packs a day when he was playing video games in the Internet cafe during the summer vacation.

"Smoking is part of my life now. " said Liu with a smile that revealed his yellow teeth.

For tobacco companies, children are a huge and promising market for their sales.

Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control conducted a survey in May last year among more than 8,000 students in Beijing. Results show that 21.59 percent of secondary school students and 6.17 percent of primary school pupils smoke, up from 6.5 percent and 3.6 percent respectively in 1999.

"The earlier young people start smoking cigarettes, the more likely they are to become addicted to nicotine and the less likely they are to quit," said Yang Gonghuan, professor with China Academy of Preventive Medical Sciences.

This warning is not unfamiliar among youngsters. During a joint survey last year by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the China Children's Press & Publication Group (CCPDG) on 33,749 youngsters aged 10 to 19, as high as 84.5 percent of those surveyed admitted they know the harm of smoking.

"I have no interest in those reports in newspapers about the danger of smoking," said Liu Song. "Just look at my neighbor Granny Liu. She's been a heavy smoker for decades, but she still lives a happy life at the age of 76."

Zang Yingnian, honorary director of the China Smoking and Health Association, noted that, aside from curiosity, study pressure and loneliness, "In most cases, the first teacher for children to learn smoking is the smoker around them."

This is proved by the UNICEF-CCPDG survey. Around 44.8 percent of the youngsters from over 10 provinces and cities say smokers around them are a major factor for smoking. A total of 23.5 percent blamed friends and schoolmates, while 21.3 percent cited family members and society as a cause.

Qiao Yunlu received his first cigarette from one of his schoolmates when he was in Grade Three. One day he saw by chance a six-grader puffing beside the school dustbin. The boy offered a cigarette and hissed not to let others know.

"My father often smokes in front of me. If I quit smoking, I will still share the poisonous air with him. So why not smoke?" said Liu Ruoxuan, a 16-year-old boy at Diao'e Town Middle School in Chicheng.

But the role of cigarette retailers should not be ignored. Although the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) issued regulations in 2001 requiring all tobacco outlets to place signs on their counters to warn youngsters of the danger of smoking, few have complied. The fate is similar for the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency passed in 1999 that prohibits selling cigarettes to children.

Liu Song's parents gave him two yuan (24 US cents) daily as pocket money, but he could still buy "Diamond" cigarettes every day, which cost four yuan (48 US cents) a pack. "Thanks to the shop owner, we are able to buy cigarettes piece by piece," said Liu Song, pointing at a shop opposite his school.

Health Minister Zhang Wenkang said, "We must continue to harness adult smoking and prohibit cigarette sales to children. At the same time, joint efforts from society, families and schools are also needed to address the problem of juvenile smoking."

China Smoke and Health Association plans to form an ad hoc anti-smoking committee composed of celebrities from the media and entertainment circles.

"We want the mass media to publicize more on the harm of smoking and get the pop stars to influence youngsters with a positive image," said Zhang Yifang, deputy director of the association.

At home, parents should set a good example for their children by not smoking in front of them, he advised.

The role of schools in anti-smoking must not be overlooked. Doctor Ye Guangjun from the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health of Beijing University believed that student participation is the best way.

"Knowledge about smoking is necessary, but not enough. Students are not onlookers."

Zang Yingnian of the China Smoking and Health Association said, "Preventing children from smoking is very crucial in the anti-smoking campaign. They are not only the focus of our campaign but also supervisors and participators."

(China Daily February 22, 2003)