Experts are urging that more should be done to prevent people, especially youth, from becoming hooked on tobacco.

They also declared that tobacco advertising should be removed from sporting events, such as the Formula One race to be held soon in Shanghai.

“This is because youngsters are the key in the fight against tobacco,” said Wu Zhaosu, vice-chairman of the Chinese Smoking and Health Association. He spoke over the weekend at a symposium sponsored by the Research Center for Health Development, a non-governmental organization.

Wu said surveys have found that nearly 90 percent of adult smokers start smoking before the age of 18 in China.

Within that group, the young are very likely to be influenced by sports they watch, said Professor Wu Yiqun, executive director of the center.

In addition to sports with tobacco producers as major sponsors, experts agreed that movies and TV have negative influences on youngsters.

“Research indicates that popular movies shown in China’s cinemas between 2001 and 2002 have scenes of people smoking an average of six minutes in each of them, and most TV shows have such scenes, too,” said Li Xinhua, an official with the Ministry of Health.

“With China joining the World Trade Organization, the country will keep its promise to lower tariffs for tobacco to 10 percent, while reducing tariffs for cigarettes to 25 percent this year,” said Li.

The official predicted that both the import and consumption of tobacco are likely to rise this year.

China joined the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control last November, but the government has long been working on tobacco control by drawing up laws and carrying out activities to make people, especially the young, more aware of safeguarding their health.

(China Daily April 12, 2004)