Though smoking is regarded as one of the most pernicious habits known hitherto, it is perhaps the most preferred addiction for millions of people across the world. For this simple reason the drives (of several governments) to create a smoking free world has failed miserably. Who are its greatest admirers? This is very difficult to discern though studies confirm men are more likely to smoke than women. Nevertheless, the gender gap declines with age. Studies also depict that poor men more likely than wealthy, and people of developing countries than those of developed countries, prefer to smoke.

Now we come to a more difficult question. How can this addiction be restrained? Researchers, if truth be told, are groping in darkness to find out the solution but it seems China has accomplished the success to a certain extent. Well, in order to know more, we have to focus on a Chinese tobacco control organization. It said more than 20 hospitals nationwide had been certified smoke-free. Speaking on this Wang Chen, Vice President of the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control (CATC) told Xinhua, official press agency of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), addiction to tobacco is not only a bad habit, but a serious chronic disease as well.

It is to be noted that the CATC initiated a tobacco control campaign among hospitals starting in 2001. “We firmly support the government’s decision to ban smoking in medical institutions and will invite more hospitals to join the campaign,” Zhang Jing, communication officer of the CATC, said.

It has also been found that the pertinent health authorities have asked all medical administrations, hospitals and disease control centers to impose total smoking bans by 2011. The aim was declared by a mandate jointly issued last week by the Health Ministry, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the logistics departments of the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force.

However, according to detractors, this is not so easy since China is the largest producer of cigarettes in the world.