Today is World No Tobacco Day, the World Heath Organisation’s annual initiative to help people stop smoking and inform as to the business practices of tobacco companies. This year, its theme is, “Grow food, not tobacco”. But where do we stand as of now on the issues in China?
今天是世界无烟日，这是世界卫生组织的年度倡议，旨在帮助人们戒烟并了解烟草公司的商业行为。今年的主题是“种植粮食，而不是烟草”。但目前我们在中国问题上的立场如何？
Backing up a bit, on 27 April, media reports pointed out people reflecting that a public-drinking-water fountain along Nanjing’s Xinjiekou pedestrian street had turned into an ashtray. From the picture, the drain of the facility had been blocked by cigarette butts, and had itself been damaged, unable to produce water.
4月27日，有媒体报道称，有人反映，南京新街口步行街的一个公共饮水机变成了烟灰缸。从照片上看，该设施的下水道已被烟头堵塞，且本身已损坏，无法出水。
According to the World Health Organisation, China has the largest number of smokers in the world, accounting for about one-third of the global smoking population. Despite measures taken by the Chinese government to curb the practice, smoking remains highly prevalent, especially among men.
据世界卫生组织统计，中国是世界上吸烟人数最多的国家，约占全球吸烟人口的三分之一。尽管中国政府采取了措施遏制吸烟现象，但吸烟仍然非常普遍，尤其是在男性中。
Recent studies have shown that among male smokers with at least one chronic disease (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke or COPD), there has been no significant change in current smoking rates. People therefore still find it difficult to quit smoking even when aware they have such diseases.
最近的研究表明，在患有至少一种慢性疾病（例如高血压、糖尿病、心肌梗塞、中风或慢性阻塞性肺病）的男性吸烟者中，目前的吸烟率没有显着变化。因此，即使人们知道自己患有此类疾病，仍然很难戒烟。
The Nanjinger therefore spoke with several people of different ages and varying smoking habits to take the pulse of some of those in our part of China this World No Tobacco Day.
因此，《南京人》在世界无烟日采访了几位不同年龄和不同吸烟习惯的人，以了解我们中国地区的一些人的脉搏。
Cao Xiaoyong is a middle-aged Nanjing man who has smoked for more than 20 years. “I know smoking is bad for me, but I can’t quit. It’s a hard habit to break”, he told us.
曹晓勇是一位南京中年男子，有20多年的烟龄。 “我知道吸烟对我不好，但我戒不掉。这是一个很难改掉的习惯”，他告诉我们。
But then, informed that in the UK, due to tax policies, the price of a pack of cigarettes has surpassed ¥100, Cao said, “If the price of cigarettes in China became that high, I would probably be forced to quit due to financial pressure. After all, a happy and fulfilling life is obviously more important than the short period of pleasure derived from smoking, and I have to make sure that the quality of life for my family does not deteriorate”.
但后来得知在英国，由于税收政策的原因，一包烟的价格已经超过了100元，曹说，“如果中国的烟价涨到那么高，我很可能会因为经济压力而被迫戒烟。毕竟，幸福充实的生活显然比吸烟带来的短暂快乐更重要，我还要保证家人的生活质量不下降”。
Chen Kaoshan, a 70 something year old in Taizhou City of Jiangsu, who has been smoking for decades, said, “I’ve been smoking for so long that I don’t think it hurts me anymore. It’s just a part of my life”.
江苏泰州市70多岁的陈考山已经吸了几十年烟，他说：“我吸了这么久，我觉得烟已经不再伤害我了，它只是我生活的一部分”。
Asked about government efforts to assist people to quit smoking, Chen said, “The policy may not have been completely thought through and it is impossible to take care of all smokers. But if we could get old people who are bored and like to smoke, like me, together, to talk and play chess or do some simple-recreational activities, and then have the government provide items to help them quit smoking or some supervision and management, I think that might be a fun and effective way to do it”.
当被问及政府在帮助人们戒烟方面所做的努力时，陈说，“这个政策可能没有经过深思熟虑，不可能照顾到所有吸烟者。但如果我们能把像我这样无聊又喜欢吸烟的老人聚集在一起，一起聊天、下棋或者做一些简单的娱乐活动，然后让政府提供帮助他们戒烟的物品或者一些监督管理，我想这可能是一个有趣而有效的方式。”
“All in all, if you don’t let me smoke, you’ll have to find a way to get me to turn my attention to other activities”, he added.
“总而言之，如果你不让我抽烟，你就必须想办法让我把注意力转移到其他活动上，”他补充道。
While smoking is a serious-health issue for Chen and Cao, it also impacts those around them. Secondhand smoke is associated with various diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Then there is its impact on the environment and air pollution.
虽然吸烟对陈和曹来说是一个严重的健康问题，但它也影响了他们周围的人。二手烟与肺癌、心脏病和中风等多种疾病有关。然后是它对环境和空气污染的影响。
Xiao Chenxin, a 20 something woman in Nanjing who has never smoked said, “I don’t understand why people smoke; it’s bad for your health and it’s a waste of money”.
从未吸烟的南京20多岁女性肖晨欣说：“我不明白为什么人们要吸烟；这对健康有害，而且浪费钱”。
Asked what she would say to smokers regarding how their habit affects her, Xiao said, “If in the future my friends around me or my husband smoke, I will tell them that smoking has a bad effect on the physical and mental health of their loved ones and friends, as well as their children”.
当被问及她对吸烟者的习惯对她有何影响时，肖说：“如果将来我身边的朋友或我的丈夫吸烟，我会告诉他们，吸烟对他们的亲人和朋友以及他们的孩子的身心健康有不好的影响”。
“Maybe they will try to quit out of concern for the people around them. Of course I will also give them some ‘stop-smoking sweets’ or snacks, or something to help distract them”, Xiao continued.
“也许他们会出于对周围人的关心而尝试戒烟。当然我也会给他们一些‘戒烟糖果’或零食，或者一些可以帮助他们分散注意力的东西”，肖继续说道。
To reduce such exposure to secondhand smoke, the Chinese government has implemented smoke-free policies in many public spaces, restaurants and bars, as well as on public transportation. While they have had a degree of effectiveness, there is little enforcement and many who openly flout the policies.
为了减少接触二手烟，中国政府在许多公共场所、餐馆和酒吧以及公共交通上实施了无烟政策。虽然它们具有一定的有效性，但执行力度很少，而且许多人公然藐视这些政策。
The cost of treating smoking-related illnesses is enormous, and the associated loss of productivity and premature death is substantial. The government has recognised such a significant economic impact from smoking on China and taken steps to address it, such as by increasing taxes on tobacco products.
治疗与吸烟有关的疾病的费用是巨大的，相关的生产力损失和过早死亡也是巨大的。政府已经认识到吸烟对中国造成的巨大经济影响，并采取措施解决这一问题，例如增加烟草制品的税收。
But following the UK example to raise taxes in the extreme would also have the knock-on effect of fuelling the black market and sales of fake, cheaper cigarettes.
但效仿英国的极端增税也会产生连锁反应，助长黑市和假冒廉价卷烟的销售。
The additional fact that smoking is often seen as a social activity, particularly in rural areas, means this severe, public-health issue in contemporary China is one with far-reaching consequences that will not be going away anytime soon.
吸烟通常被视为一种社会活动，尤其是在农村地区，这一事实意味着当代中国这一严重的公共卫生问题具有深远的影响，并且不会很快消失。
