Shanghai joins national 'butt-out'

By Jane Chen | May 31, 2009, Sunday |

Online Edition

SHANGHAI is stubbing out its cigarettes tonight in a national "butt-out" from 17:31 to 18:31.

The nationwide program, launched last Friday in Beijing, will send China's no-smoking message to today's "World No Tobacco Day," the Guangzhou-based Yanchieng Evening News reported.

The "butt-out" will be observed in major cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Jinan, Shijiazhuang and Taiyuan when smokers are being asked to quit smoking for an hour.

Netizens have been invited to support the no-smoking program by uploading anti-smoking pictures and texts for one month from May 16 to a "Blue Ribbon Donation" campaign on the Website jieyan.org. The Website will donate 100,000 yuan (US$14,646) to the China Children and Teenagers' Fund to help cover medical costs for 5,000 rural children in need.

About 26 percent of the country's population smokes, accounting for a third of the world's nicotine addicts, according to Xinhua news agency.

In a country where about 350 million light up regularly, according to Ministry of Health statistics, getting people to give up their major habit is a huge challenge.

More young people and women are now smoking.

A survey in Guangzhou showed that more than 17 out of 100 high school female students had tried smoking and 14 per cent of female college students reported trying smoking.

Metro

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Shanghai joins national 'butt-out'

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