Smoking a 'chronic disease'(2)

"We could be closing at any time," Wu said, adding that the cost of medicine is up to at least 500 yuan a month, which is expensive and not covered by medical insurance.

In fact, from 1996, when the first clinic opened in Beijing, to 2007, the number of clinics dropped from 22 to only three.

That number increased to seven in 2008 when Beijing launched a citywide anti-smoking campaign before the start of the Olympic Games, and in the following year the total reached 19 due to calls from health authorities.

However, the increase failed to attract patients, and some hospitals silently gave up services.

"It's hard for us to get financial support, and many hospitals let us go under the economic pressure," said Xiao at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, adding that in most developed countries, the government contributes to smoking cessation clinics in their health budget.

Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of the China Association on Tobacco Control, an NGO, said cessation clinics need a support system in China, where most people do not consider smoking to be a medical condition.

She suggested setting up telephone help lines to raise public awareness.

"It's also important to integrate cessation services into routine medical care practices, particularly at community clinics where people go frequently for minor conditions," she said.

Beijing has implemented a smoking intervention plan this year. The city health authority organized an on-the-job training for community hospital medics to build a grassroots medical institution-based smoking cessation network.

Community doctors, usually general practitioners, have to ask patients whether they smoke or not and inform them of the health hazards.

"That could help refer willing smokers to professional cessation doctors at large hospitals," Yang said.

To better guide clinical practice, the National Health and Family Planning Commission issued guidelines for clinical smoking cessation last year. In May 2011, the top health authority also published an notice banning smoking indoors at all medical institutions and health administration buildings on the mainland.