A smoke-free China?

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was ratified on Sunday by China. The treaty prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship on radio, television, print media and the Internet within five years, and company sponsorship of international events and activities.

China also said it will ban tobacco vending machines and

has tightened regulations meant to prevent minors from buying tobacco, but enforcement has been uneven.

I hail this as very good news, since China has more than 300 million smokers and some 5 million of them are teenagers.

Chinese tobacco companies sold 1.8 trillion cigarettes in 2003.

I wonder what the tobacco industry thinks of this development.