Chinese Love Cigarettes

I ran across this nice WHO page with statistics about smoking around the world. There are sections about smoking worldwide, but more relevant to my blog is the Chinese smoking statistics section (just scroll down a bit). Though these statistics are from 2002 and the smoking rates are increasing in China, the numbers are still quite alarming. For instance, in China:

• 67% of men smoke (worldwide, 1/3 of men smoke)
• Of the 10 million cigarettes sold every second in the world, 3 million of those are sold in China.
• Chinese smokers consume around 1.7 trillion (with a "t") cigarettes every year.
• Every day, around 3,000 Chinese die due to smoking.

I don't find these numbers surprising at all. Nearly all of the male teachers here smoke (and their teeth really show it). A fair number of my 7th graders enjoy a relaxing cigarette break just before sitting down for evening study hall each night.

The real smoking champions use specially built bamboo or metal bongs to get their fix. Smoking a cigarette is convenient, can be done anywhere, and you can even do it when you're walking to buy more cigarettes! Using these gargantuan bongs requires skill, dedication, and absolutely nothing to do. They look like other kinds of big water bongs, but you insert the cigarette into a specially fitted hole at the bottom, light up, and puff away. Regularly seen around mahjong tables, restaurants, and anywhere anybody is doing nothing (almost everywhere).

Morning cup of smokes.

Interestingly enough, female smoking rates are really low, especially in rural areas. Women generally don't get too drunk and have a free pass from shots of baijiu, but they don't even get offered cigarettes. In areas like Dazhai, women who smoke are looked down upon. There are more female smokers in the big cities where it's not as taboo.

In the rural areas I've been to, smokers will generally offer cigarettes right before or right after meeting you. Saying no isn't bad, but it is a little bit awkward when they ask all four of us fellows and none of us accept their gesture of good will: "Here, let me help you die a little sooner."

Not only is smoking obviously terrible for your health, but in China, cigarettes are expensive. The cheapest brand is around 10 RMB ($1.52), while the most expensive are around 100 RMB ($15.18). Our salary of 2000 RMB/month is not all that high, but consider the fact there are many smokers who make even less. I'm starting to think the only things they buy are rice and cigarettes.

See the page here for even more fun statistics. Go smoking!