Cigarette Sales Are Rising in China, Defying Global Trend

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The use of “slim cigarettes” and a slowdown in official anti-tobacco efforts is concerning experts. By Li Xin and Lin Liuhan For 21-year-old college student Ying Yuhao, smoking is an essential tool for building relationships. During his summer internship at a government agency in the eastern city of Hangzhou, Ying recalled senior colleagues offering him cigarettes during meals. “If I didn’t accept, it would seem like I was disrespecting them,” he said. “I smoked almost every day.” China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world, and cigarette sales have grown in recent years, bucking the global trend of falling consumption. Policies in some regions to restrict smoking, such as indoor bans or steeper taxes, have stalled in recent years amid official concerns about their negative economic impact, according to experts. After a decline from 2014 to 2016 as several major Chinese cities introduced tough indoor smoking bans, cigarette sales have again risen ………………………………