China must move quickly and firmly to curb ‘rising tide of cancer deaths’ from smoking, say health researchers

More stringent tobacco control was crucial for China to “curtail a rising tide of cancer deaths”, researchers said after estimating that deaths from smoking-related cancers in the country would rise by about half over the next two decades.

A slow drop in the smoking rate means the country is likely to miss its 2030 target of cutting smoking prevalence to 20 per cent from the current rate of 26.6 per cent, given that about half of all Chinese males smoke and there has been a slight rise in the number of young female smokers.