Chinese tobacco firms advertise online in loophole(2)

Wang Ke'an, director of a non-government organization on tobacco control called ThinkTank, urged revision of the law to better match the current situation and meet the conditions of the FCTC.

More severe penalties for breaches of tobacco advertising laws should also be introduced, said Wang.

Statistics from China's health authorities show China has 300 million smokers, and 28.1 percent of people over the age of 15 smoke. The smoking rate among males has reached 52.96 percent.

Yu Xiuyan, a public health researcher at the China University of Political Science and Law, said the online tobacco marketing has obviously violated the FCTC, and should be banned.

According to Yu, the tobacco industry's advertising through social media and other online activities particularly targets the young, especially teenagers.

"Teenagers, most of whom are netizens, are very likely to be influenced by these ads and start smoking," she said.

Angela Pratt, a technical officer with the Tobacco Free Initiative of the WHO Representative Office in China, said online advertising has become an important means adopted by tobacco companies because its low cost, ease and the potential size of the audience.

A WHO study found that one-third of young smokers started smoking because of access to tobacco advertising, promotion or sponsorship, according to Pratt.

She said banning tobacco advertising in all its forms is the most cost-effective tobacco control measure.

As of 2012, 86 countries have comprehensively banned tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, since the campaign was initiated by Norway in 1975.

May 31 marks the 26th World No Tobacco Day, an occasion promoted by the WHO and its partners. This year's focus will be on banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.