Smoking persists among health workers

The National Health and Family Planning Commission released the results of a secret investigation on the smoking ban in public health institutions. Beijing ranks third among cities under investigation, the Beijing Evening News reported.

Cigarette butts and smoking behavior were found in 42.1 percent of the investigated institutions. Although the percentage has decreased in comparison with data from 2011 and 2010, smoking is still a common phenomenon in public health institutions. Moreover, the rate of staffers at public health institutions who smoke has increased; the percentage has risen to 2.2 percent from 0.5 percent in 2011.

The 2012 secret investigation did not find cigarettes for sale in health administrative departments and public health institutions. However, 17.6 percent of medical institutions and four percent of primary-­level medical institutions were found to sell cigarettes.