Protecting young people in China from tobacco

China is the largest tobacco consumer in the world. The latest WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic showed that the age-standardised daily smoking prevalence of people aged 15 years or older was 21% in China in 2021.1 Despite ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005, and the continuous progress in tobacco control, the smoking rate remains high in China, and smoking is still a generally accepted behaviour—especially among men—that is often considered to stimulate social interaction and relieve stress.