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China promises "non-smoking" Olympics
Xinhua ^ | 05/29/06

Posted on 05/29/2006 8:12:13 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

China promises "non-smoking" Olympics

www.chinaview.cn 2006-05-29 17:20:22

Related: Beijing unveils plans for "green" Games

BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- China, with 350 million smokers - about one third of the world's smoking population - has vowed to put on a "non-smoking" Olympic Games.

Zhang Bin, an official with the Ministry of Health (MOH), said on Monday that smoking will be banned at all hospitals that will be used specifically for the Games by the end of 2007.

The ban will extend to public transport and public buildings, with places that offer services to children the main concern, Zhang said.

In his meeting with World Health Organization Director-General Lee Jong-Wook in 2004, Premier Wen Jiabao said a non-smoking Games is on top of the agenda for China's preparations for a green Olympics.

The ministry has learned from the practice and experience of previous Games hosts, Zhang acknowledged.

The concept of a "non-smoking" Olympic Games, initiated in 1988,was put into practice in Barcelona in 1992.

Considering the country's large smoking population, Zhang warned that China faces many obstacles to overcome in hosting a non-smoking Olympics.

The largest tobacco producer and consumer in the world, China reports about one million deaths from smoking a year, and the figure is expected to reach three million by 2050.

The spread of smoking results in the heavy burden of providing medical treatment for illnesses like lung cancer, said Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of the China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"It is society who has to foot the cost of medical treatment made by tobacco promotion," she said, underscoring that tobacco control needs the participation of NGOs and people from all walks of life, she said.

She called for a prompt implementation of the national action plan on tobacco control with priority placed on teenage education and publicity.

The expert also appealed for promulgating national laws to ban smoking in public places and to beef up early detection and treatment of lung cancer.

"The current consumption of cigarettes will see an increase in deaths from lung cancer in the next 20 to 30 years, apart from other causes like the aging of the population, greater industrialization and deterioration of environment," she continued.

Unfortunately, China is still slow in detecting lung cancer and most patients do not receive the necessary surgery in time, said Qiao Youlin, researcher with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, who specializes in cancer treatment.

"The high cost of early detection methods of lung cancer prevents early diagnosis, especially in rural areas," he told Xinhua.

The new cooperative rural medicare system promoted by the government in the past few years has only provided farmers with about 50 yuan (6.25 U.S. dollars) for healthcare, but the screening costs about 300 yuan (37.5 U.S. dollars), he said.

"Therefore, China's treatment of lung cancer still lags far behind developed nations," said Qiao, adding that the five-year survival rate of lung cancer patients in developed nations is 15 percent, but less than 10 percent in China.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: beijing; china; nonsmoking; olympic; prc; pufflist
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Hmm.. if you are caught smoking in one of Olympic venues, you may have to donate your kidney, liver, and heart to glorious fatherland. You may have no choice.:)
1 posted on 05/29/2006 8:12:19 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; maui_hawaii; tallhappy; Dr. Marten; Jeff Head; Khurkris; hedgetrimmer; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 05/29/2006 8:12:57 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster

what are they gonna do send in the troops?... oh yeah, they might...


3 posted on 05/29/2006 8:13:48 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Hmm.. if you are caught smoking in one of Olympic venues, you may have to donate your kidney, liver, and heart to glorious fatherland. You may have no choice.:)

Of course that's after they sentence you to death and shoot you.

And don't forget the bill they send to your family for the bullet.

4 posted on 05/29/2006 8:16:52 PM PDT by MAexile (Bats left, votes right)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I guess they'll be using smokeless gunpowder when shooting dissidents.


5 posted on 05/29/2006 8:22:02 PM PDT by Nachoman (I love greasy old bolt guns.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I don't care what people say. China will never be a superpower.


6 posted on 05/29/2006 8:26:32 PM PDT by Vision (Newt/Pence '08)
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Good to see China's getting a little more civilized.


7 posted on 05/29/2006 8:27:18 PM PDT by CounterCounterCulture (RINOs - the OTHER white meat)
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To: Vision
Re #6

Yeah, China is overrated.

8 posted on 05/29/2006 8:27:45 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Isn't the air in Beijing worse than smoking?


9 posted on 05/29/2006 8:28:11 PM PDT by Minus_The_Bear
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Good luck to the local Chinese on the smoking ban, they chain smoke a lot there.
10 posted on 05/29/2006 8:29:12 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Minus_The_Bear
Re #9

Imaging how it would feel if lots of tobacco smoke is added in the mix.

11 posted on 05/29/2006 8:30:54 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: A CA Guy
Re #10

A lot of opportunities for organ harvesting. This is the situation where Chinese state cannot lose.

12 posted on 05/29/2006 8:32:37 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster
No country will achieve superpower success by restricting the happiness of their people.
13 posted on 05/29/2006 8:32:57 PM PDT by Vision (Newt/Pence '08)
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To: Vision

I was thinking the same thing.


14 posted on 05/29/2006 8:33:53 PM PDT by steel_resolve (George Bush, why hast thou forsaken me?)
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To: steel_resolve

That's cause you're a real American.


15 posted on 05/29/2006 8:34:51 PM PDT by Vision (Newt/Pence '08)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Smoking is probably promoted by the Chinese government normally so many people die of cancer earlier to reduce the population.
Lord knows the Chinese government wouldn't pay several hundred thousand each for cancer treatments like we do.


16 posted on 05/29/2006 8:35:14 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

But, but, but Herr Hauptmann, what about meine freund. Er ist "driving drunk." He will be shot, non? Und meine freund over there, she eats too much fatty food, shoot her also, ok? And, do you see that guy over there? I saw him reading some Israeli documents - he should be buried alive, right? Oh, thank you so much Herr Hauptmann, you don't like my plaid shirt, oh, it's ok, no problem, really no problem, no, no, don't shooooot!


17 posted on 05/29/2006 8:36:41 PM PDT by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
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To: Vision

And you know, we have alot of enemies in this world, but for some reason I hate them the most. Arrogant pricks - I can't wait till their 1 trillion in bad loans collapses their economy


18 posted on 05/29/2006 8:42:37 PM PDT by steel_resolve (George Bush, why hast thou forsaken me?)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

You mean Motherland? China is a feminin name.


19 posted on 05/29/2006 8:49:03 PM PDT by Petey139
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To: Petey139
Re #19

In Chinese, it depends.

20 posted on 05/29/2006 9:17:01 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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