Shanghai Smoking Rate Falls to Record Low

Shanghai has continued to strengthen tobacco control efforts, achieving notable progress in recent years.

The rate of smoking violations in smoke-free public areas stood at 12.6 percent last year, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous year.

Public support for stricter regulations remains high, with 98.2 percent of residents backing a complete ban on smoking in indoor venues.

The city's overall smoking rate fell to 18.6 percent in 2024, the lowest on the Chinese mainland. The figure meets both the national targets under the Healthy China 2030 initiative and global tobacco-control goals set by the World Health Organization.

Local health authorities noted that this year marks the 16th anniversary of the city's tobacco-control legislation. The government plans to further reduce smoking violations in smoke-free areas, lower the overall smoking rate and curb exposure to second-hand smoke. Measures include stricter enforcement of indoor smoking bans, discouraging smoking while walking outdoors and guiding smokers to designated outdoor smoking areas.

A total of 21 major scenic and tourist sites – including Xintiandi, The Bund, Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Disneyland Resort – have introduced outdoor smoking management guidelines by setting up designated smoking zones.

Venues reporting the highest number of smoking violations include entertainment establishments, office buildings, restaurants and public transport waiting areas. The use of e-cigarettes in indoor public venues stood at 2.1 percent, up 0.1 percentage points from 2024.

In March 2010, Shanghai became the first city in China to enact legislation banning indoor smoking. The regulation was revised in 2016 to implement a comprehensive indoor smoking ban. Since late 2022, the city has also prohibited the use of e-cigarettes in indoor public spaces.

In 2024, the city issued a notice strengthening control of second-hand smoke in eight types of outdoor locations, including scenic spots, restaurants and beverage outlets, sidewalks and traffic-light waiting areas, outdoor amusement parks, bus stops, and the entrances and exits of shopping malls and commercial buildings.