China Has 738 Million Passive Smokers, Making E-Cigarettes a Growing Need

　　According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, China currently has 356 million smokers aged 15 and above, and 738 million passive smokers. This means that nearly 1.1 billion people in the country are “exposed” to tobacco. These figures were revealed to reporters at the launch ceremony of the “China Enterprise Employee Tobacco Control Education Program.”

　　Jiang Yuan, director of the Tobacco Control Office at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that among adults aged 35 and above in China, smoking-related diseases mainly fall into three categories: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases. The economic burden of these diseases amounts to 223.7 billion yuan. Of this, direct economic losses (including outpatient care, hospitalization, and related expenses) account for 17.5%, while indirect economic losses account for 82.5%. The biggest contributor to indirect losses is premature death caused by these diseases.

　　Based on the data above, and for the health of the 738 million passive smokers, e-cigarettes—which are greener, healthier, and less disruptive to family members—still have significant room for growth in the domestic market.