Beijing's Decade of Tobacco Control Legislation Shows Remarkable Results

Martin Taylor, the World Health Organization's Representative in China, recently stated in an interview with Yicai that progress in comprehensive smoke-free legislation in China has slowed in recent years. To some extent, the shift in social attitudes towards tobacco control in China has outpaced the legislative process, which is both an encouraging and a reflective aspect.

The prolonged caution exercised by local governments in advancing smoke-free legislation is partly due to multi-stakeholder interests and a lack of empirical data regarding key issues such as: "Can social consensus on smoke-free legislation be achieved?", "Will the economic and social benefits brought by legislation outweigh the economic costs of its implementation?", and "Should we wait for national legislation to be enacted before proceeding?".

Beijing was one of the first cities in China to introduce local tobacco control regulations that fully comply with the standards of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. During the recently held Beijing International Forum on Building Smoke-Free Cities 2025, the latest evidence on tobacco control released by Beijing demonstrates that comprehensive smoke-free legislation benefits various socio-economic aspects for localities.

Liu Xiaofeng, Deputy Director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, explained that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the implementation of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulation," with significant achievements in related health indicators and health effects. In 2025, the smoking rate among adults aged 15 and above in Beijing was 19.2%, a cumulative decrease of 4.2 percentage points since the regulation took effect in 2015. Exposure to secondhand smoke in various indoor public places has improved compared to before the implementation of the regulation, with the most significant declines seen in entertainment venues such as bars and restaurants. The adult smoking cessation rate has nearly doubled.

Meanwhile, Liu Xiaofeng stated that the ten-year implementation of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulation" has further enhanced population health protection effects, collectively preventing nearly 500,000 hospitalizations due to acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and childhood asthma.