A History of Tobacco in China

China again became serious about anti-smoking causes in 2003, when the Chinese government signed the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and started a national clamp-down on tobacco in 2006. However, most outspoken non-governmental organizations and experts in the field believed China has been doing a poor job of curbing smoking and protecting its people from the "silent killer." "China's been controlling tobacco and smoking for 10 years. However, the number of smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke have has not dwindled at all," said Wu Yiqun, deputy director of Think Tank, a civil society committed to tobacco and smoking control, in an interview with China Daily in December, 2013.

A screen grab from World Health Organization's website.