Sharp Increase in Smoking Experimentation Among Chinese Teens at Age 13
Beijing Evening News (Reporter Dai Lili) — A report titled Trends in Adolescent Tobacco Use in China and Abroad Over the Past 30 Years was released today at an expert seminar on “Protecting the Healthy Development of Adolescents and Calling for National Smoke-Free Legislation.” The report states that the age at which Chinese adolescents first “experiment with smoking” is becoming younger, with a sharp surge in frequency appearing at age 13.
Zhou Huazhen, Director of the Adolescent Health Research Center at China Youth University of Political Studies, presented the report Trends in Adolescent Tobacco Use in China and Abroad Over the Past 30 Years. The survey found that over the past 30 years, tobacco use among Chinese adolescents has shown three main characteristics: smoking among adolescents in China is still predominantly male, but the smoking rate among female adolescents has been rising; adolescent smoking rates are higher in rural areas than in cities, and there are clear regional differences in both “experimenting with smoking” and “current smoking”; and the age at which adolescents first try smoking is getting younger, while the rate increases significantly with age.
Many adolescents begin experimenting with smoking as early as middle school. One set of figures is particularly startling — whether in regular secondary schools, elite secondary schools, or vocational schools, the rate of students who have tried smoking differs very little, roughly between 49.7% and 50.4%. In other words, about half of all adolescents have tried smoking.
An analysis of the frequency of the age at first cigarette among adolescent students shows a sharp jump at age 13, a peak at ages 15 to 16, and a much lower rate after age 19. Therefore, age 13 and ages 15 to 16 are two age groups that deserve special public attention. Overall, boys generally begin smoking at a younger age than girls.
Even more worrying is that some adolescents have already developed tobacco dependence. Among current smokers, 30.0% are in a state of tobacco dependence, with the rate higher among boys (30.8%) than girls (24.6%). There is no significant difference between urban and rural areas, and dependence increases with age. How to curb the rise in adolescent smoking during this stage is a serious issue that must be addressed.
The harms of smoking are even more severe for adolescents than for adults. Because adolescents are in a period of rapid growth and development, the body’s various systems and organs are not yet fully mature or are just approaching maturity, making them more likely than adults to absorb toxic and harmful substances and suffer deeper damage from them. The earlier smoking begins, the earlier various diseases may develop, and the higher their incidence.
Experts called on society to promote healthy and science-based values and to draw broad public attention to adolescent health issues; from a spatial perspective, to reduce the spaces in which tobacco use occurs; from a time perspective, to prevent adolescents from trying smoking; to use the “Online Communist Youth League” to carry out smoking-control awareness campaigns; and to implement branded initiatives that promote healthy adolescent development. Of particular importance, they said, is that the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council should issue the national Regulations on Smoking Control in Public Places as soon as possible, clearly mandating a comprehensive smoking ban in all indoor public places, indoor workplaces, and public transportation, thereby providing policy protection and legal support to shield adolescents from the dangers of secondhand smoke. In addition, they recommended evaluating Article 22 of the Advertising Law, which “prohibits all forms of tobacco promotion aimed at adolescents,” in order to delay the age at which adolescents actively try smoking, prevent and reduce the transition from “experimenting with smoking” to “weekly smoking,” and thereby cut off the pipeline of future smokers.
