September 26, 2011 - In dozens of rural villages in China’s western provinces, more than 100 primary schools are sponsored by local units of China’s government-owned monopoly cigarette-maker. Signs on the front gates of these schools say, “Genius comes from hard work—Tobacco helps you become talented,” encouraging the young kids to take up smoking. China has more than 320 million smokers, a third of the world’s total, and about 1 million Chinese die from tobacco-related illnesses every year. Reducing mortality in the country from cardiovascular diseases, for which smoking is a main risk factor, by 1 percent a year over three decades to 2040 could generate economic value equal to $10.7 trillion, according to a World Bank report. Despite the strong will of the government to control smoking policies, the volume of cigarettes sold in China is expected to grow. Tobacco control efforts have been hampered by light penalties, a lack of education about the dangers of smoking, and the fact that the regulator, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, also runs the world’s biggest cigarette maker, China National Tobacco Corp.

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