Voluntary smoking controls have proved ineffective in China,
with laws and regulations being the only effective way of
curbing the habit, according to a report released in Beijing on
Thursday. The 2011 China Tobacco Control Report was released by
the Tobacco Control Office of the Chinese Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (China CDC), just ahead of the 24th World
No-Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31. Voluntary smoking control
was a compromise advocated by the tobacco industry, which was
under the pressure of public criticism at the time, according to
Liang Xiaofeng, deputy director of the China CDC. These methods
of curbing tobacco use have proved ineffective in other
countries as well, Liang said. Smoke-free environments can only
be created through mandatory constraints, according to the
report. Compared to voluntary no-smoking policies, strict laws
and regulations are more equal and comprehensive in their
coverage, with enforcement being a key part of their
effectiveness, the report said. Harbin, th