Chinese National Health Commission: Smoking Control Regulations with Significant Legislative Achievements

Regulations by 2FIRSTS.ai
May.27.2024
Chinese National Health Commission: Smoking Control Regulations with Significant Legislative Achievements
China strengthens smoking control regulations in 2023, with 24 provinces and 254 cities implementing regional smoking control laws.

According to Xinhua News Agency's report on May 25, 2023, China has strengthened the formulation and revision of tobacco control regulations. 24 provinces have enacted provincial-level tobacco control regulations, and 254 cities have implemented city-level tobacco control regulations. The proportion of the population protected by comprehensive smoke-free regulations continues to increase.

 

On May 25th, at the founding conference of the Smoking Control Association's Medical Institution and Health Promotion Professional Committee in China, as well as the "Smoking Control and Health" academic symposium, Wu Xiangtian, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission's Planning, Development, and Informatization Department, emphasized the importance of using smoking control education as a key health initiative to assist the people in achieving a healthy lifestyle.

 

In recent years, some regions have actively promoted legislation to control smoking, such as the public smoking control regulations in Shanghai and Beijing, which have achieved significant results. Wang Lu, director of the Department of Planning, Development and Informatization of the National Health Commission's Office of Health Supervision, introduced that in 2003, the World Health Assembly approved the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, aimed at reducing the destructive impact of tobacco on health and the economy. China ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005, and the convention officially came into effect in China in 2006.

 

The outline of the "Healthy China 2030" plan requires comprehensive promotion of tobacco control compliance, intensifying tobacco control efforts, and increasing the effectiveness of tobacco control through measures such as pricing, taxation, and legislation. Actively promoting smoke-free environment construction, strengthening the supervision and law enforcement of tobacco control in public places. Promoting the smoke-free work in public places and gradually achieving comprehensive indoor smoking bans. By 2030, the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above should be reduced to 20%.

 

According to data, the smoking rate among individuals aged 15 and over in China in 2022 was 24.1%, a decrease of 1.7 percentage points compared to 2020.

 

We welcome news tips, article submissions, interview requests, or comments on this piece.

Please contact us at info@2firsts.com, or reach out to Alan Zhao, CEO of 2Firsts, on LinkedIn


Notice

1.  This article is intended solely for professional research purposes related to industry, technology, and policy. Any references to brands or products are made purely for objective description and do not constitute any form of endorsement, recommendation, or promotion by 2Firsts.

2.  The use of nicotine-containing products — including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouchand heated tobacco products — carries significant health risks. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.

3.  This article is not intended to serve as the basis for any investment decisions or financial advice. 2Firsts assumes no direct or indirect liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the content.

4.  Access to this article is strictly prohibited for individuals below the legal age in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright

 

This article is either an original work created by 2Firsts or a reproduction from third-party sources with proper attribution. All copyrights and usage rights belong to 2Firsts or the original content provider. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or any other form of unauthorized use by any individual or organization is strictly prohibited. Violators will be held legally accountable.

For copyright-related inquiries, please contact: info@2firsts.com

 

AI Assistance Disclaimer

 

This article may have been enhanced using AI tools to improve translation and editorial efficiency. However, due to technical limitations, inaccuracies may occur. Readers are encouraged to refer to the cited sources for the most accurate information.

We welcome any corrections or feedback. Please contact us at: info@2firsts.com

Product | PMI Launches ZYN Melts in UK, Extending ZYN Beyond Nicotine Pouches Into Dissolvable Tablets
Product | PMI Launches ZYN Melts in UK, Extending ZYN Beyond Nicotine Pouches Into Dissolvable Tablets
Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched ZYN Melts in the UK, introducing a fully dissolvable oral nicotine tablet format alongside the brand's existing nicotine pouches. The range includes Cool Mint and Peppermint, each offered at 1mg and 2mg of nicotine per tablet, creating four SKUs. Each can contains 20 tablets and is priced at £6.50 in the UK. Unlike ZYN nicotine pouches, Melts are placed between the upper lip and gum and dissolve completely during use.
News
Sep.29 by 2Firsts Perspectives
Special Report | Vape bans and tougher rules: the South Caucasus takes different paths
Special Report | Vape bans and tougher rules: the South Caucasus takes different paths
Azerbaijan's sweeping e-cigarette ban has raised concerns over enforcement errors and the emergence of illicit sales, while neighboring Armenia is tightening technical rules and preparing higher excise taxes. Georgia, meanwhile, has resisted calls for broader vape restrictions and introduced preferential taxes for some domestically produced cigarettes. The divergent approaches across the South Caucasus highlight a regional policy dilemma: how to curb nicotine use and protect public health without encouraging black markets or creating unintended economic consequences for businesses and consumers.
Nov.03
Italian Financial Police Seize 4.3 Million E-Cigarettes and Smoking Accessories; 28 Reported to Judicial Authorities Across Operations
Italian Financial Police Seize 4.3 Million E-Cigarettes and Smoking Accessories; 28 Reported to Judicial Authorities Across Operations
Italy's Guardia di Finanza announced on October 28 that officers in Latina province had seized approximately 4.3 million e-cigarettes and smoking accessories at an unauthorized warehouse in an operation involving restrictions on the possession and sale of tobacco-related products. Another 300,000 suspected counterfeit or unsafe items were confiscated during separate inspections, bringing total seizures across the operations to more than 4.6 million products. Twenty-eight people were reported to judicial authorities over suspected smuggling and counterfeiting offenses. Officials did not disclose separate vape quantities, the value of the merchandise or alleged violations associated with individual brands.
Enforcement
Oct.29
From Product Innovation to Integrated Solutions: NEXTECH Expands Its Global Heated Tobacco Solutions
From Product Innovation to Integrated Solutions: NEXTECH Expands Its Global Heated Tobacco Solutions
NEXTECH launched its NEXE Pro circumferential-heating tobacco stick globally at InterTabac 2026, as the company expands from product innovation into broader heated tobacco solutions. Amid intensifying competition across global HTP markets, NEXTECH is strengthening its R&D, manufacturing and pre-launch support capabilities to serve different types of business customers.
Industry Insight
Sep.15
NAS 2026 | Former FDA Tobacco Chief Mitch Zeller Calls for Shift From “End Game” to “End State”
NAS 2026 | Former FDA Tobacco Chief Mitch Zeller Calls for Shift From “End Game” to “End State”
At the 2026 New Approaches Summit in New York, former FDA Center for Tobacco Products Director Mitch Zeller called for the tobacco harm reduction debate to shift from the traditional “end game” toward defining a desired “end state.” He also highlighted unresolved concerns around dual use, argued that biomarkers of exposure may be more meaningful than cigarettes-per-day in assessing risk reduction, and said nicotine misperceptions remain a major barrier to public health progress.
Sep.25
Texas Extends Tobacco Tax Interpretation to a 6-Methylnicotine Product, Citing VELO Ruling
Texas Extends Tobacco Tax Interpretation to a 6-Methylnicotine Product, Citing VELO Ruling
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts ruled in September 2026 that a combustible product made with non-tobacco plant material and 6-methylnicotine (6-MN), a synthetic nicotine analog, qualifies as a taxable tobacco product. The applicant said the product contained neither tobacco leaf nor measurable conventional nicotine. The determination applies reasoning from a May Texas Supreme Court decision involving VELO nicotine pouches, finding that the plant material and 6-MN together perform the functions of tobacco in a conventional smoking product. The ruling carries applicable tax, licensing and reporting obligations but is limited to the facts submitted by the taxpayer. It does not establish a blanket tax classification for all 6-MN products or extend the same conclusion to e-cigarettes.
Regulations
Nov.06