Movie slammed for its smoking scenes as more puffers targeted
Print Edition
China鈥檚 New Year blockbuster 鈥淕one With The Bullets鈥 has been given an award of shame under the latest anti-tobacco campaign for its excessive number of smoking scenes.
The Chinese Association on Tobacco Control announced the 鈥淒irty Ashtray Award鈥 as it disclosed the results of its annual review of smoking scenes in films and TV shows.
The movie, by director Jiang Wen, has 45 smoking scenes 鈥 more than in any of the 30 other films monitored 鈥 or about one every 3.1 minutes, said Xu Guihua, deputy director of the association.
Nine films and TV shows were given 鈥淣o Smoking Scenes Awards.鈥
The association has been monitoring smoking scenes since 2007 in a bid to encourage celebrities to take a more socially responsible attitude.
As the world鈥檚 largest tobacco maker and consumer, China has more than 300 million smokers. According to official data, more than 1 million Chinese die from smoking-related diseases every year.
The country is adopting its strictest measures in the latest tobacco-control efforts.
Apart from the shame awards, China鈥檚 top legislature last month adopted an amendment to the Advertisement Law, banning tobacco advertising on mass media, in public places, on public vehicles and outdoors.
On Sunday, the consumption tax on cigarettes at the wholesale was increased, a move that is expected to cut smoking by 4 to 5 percent and add 100 billion yuan to annual tax revenue.
From June 1 Beijing will ban smoking in all indoor public places, workplaces, and on public transport.
Despite the government鈥檚 best efforts, the recent tax rise might not detract as many smokers as hoped. Wang Chaocai, an official of the Ministry of Finance, said some cigarette manufacturers might simply absorb the tax rise, rather than pass it on to consumers.
An unnamed shop owner said that in the past, such tax hikes have resulted in cigarettes rising by about 1 yuan (16 US cents) a pack.
鈥淢y sales have not been affected. Most of my customers won鈥檛 pay much attention to a slight rise,鈥 he said.
Liu Rongjun, a 21-year-old, said: 鈥淭he price of my usual brand has gone up by 1 yuan, but others have remained unchanged, so I鈥檒l smoke those.鈥
Zhang Guodong, columnist of economic news portal Ce.cn, said increasing the retail price of cigarettes can have only a limited deterring effect.
It is more important for local governments to cut the scale of the tobacco industry and reduce their dependence on tobacco companies for revenue, he said.
Additionally, doubts about the feasibility of Beijing鈥檚 new smoking ban have been climbing as smokers are often seen puffing away in restaurants, schools and other public spaces in the city, regardless of earlier bans.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the ban will affect me much, as I mostly smoke in places like bars,鈥 Liu said.
Xu said: 鈥淲e have made secret investigations in bars and found that the managers are unaware of the new regulations. More publicity and promotions about the ban are needed.
鈥淎fter the ban takes effect, the city鈥檚 law enforcement still needs to work out ways to implement the regulations to the letter and make the smokers who defy the ban get due punishment.鈥
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