IN SUPPORT TO MR. .FANG JIGIAN.

When Mr. Fang Jigian member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Conference, adviser to the People’s government of Guangdong Province and Professor at the Sun Yat-sen University School of Public Health urged the government to step its efforts to ban smoking, Mr. Zhang Baozhen, Vice Director of State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, said banning smoking might affect Social stability and this is NOT true. It’s also very wrong to argue that promoting smoking is good for society Health yet we very well know that every year 5million people worldwide die from tobacco related diseases and more so 1million from China alone.Mr. Vice Director Zhang should also know that that stability is not the highest priority; it’s not possible to have social stability without good health, a diseased society can never be stable.Mr.Zhang, should know that hurting the Tobacco Monopoly Administration is nothing compared to the loss of good health and death caused by Tobacco smoke.Mr. Zhang says banning smoking might cause social urest, this is not true, look at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which is part of China, recently promulgated new regulations banning smoking in most workplaces, public places, hotels, streets and public entertainment facilities and this has not cause any social unrest anywhere and Hong Kong is quite doing well on this by fining smokers who violate the ban up to HK$ 5000.Most people think controlling Tobacco smoke or banning it is aimed at protecting the rights of non smokers forgetting that even the smokers themselves have the right to good health. Tobacco consumption is actually highest in China, and the like of Mr.Zhang should join hands with the like of Mr. Fang Jiqian to make China a smoke free nation.

Wilson DD Lakony.wilsondd@globalink.org
April 30, 2007 11:38 PM