BACKGROUND: Since the implementation of the Beijing Municipal Regulation on Smoking Control in 2015, significant outcomes have achieved. The adult smoking rate has steadily decreased and, by 2021, had already met the Healthy Beijing Initiative's target of reducing the smoking rate among adults aged 15 and above to below 20%, one year ahead of schedule.
METHODS: The subjects comprised urban and rural permanent residents aged 15 and above, selected from 100 residential (village) committees across 50 subdistricts (townships) in 16 districts of Beijing. The sample size was 12000 people. The stratified multistage cluster probability sampling method was utilized.
RESULTS: The smoking rate among adults aged 15 and above was 19.9% in 2023, the smoking rate for men was 36.6%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to 2021, while for women it was 2.2%, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points. Additionally, the rate of second-hand smoke exposure in households was 29.6%, showing no significant improvement compared to 2021. Among all current and former smokers, the quit rate reached 29.6%, an increase of 2.6 percentage points compared to 2021. The rate of current smokers attempting to quit rose from 38.2% in 2021 to 41.8%, and the proportion of those with a quit plan increased from 19.2% to 23.7%. The proportion of those who had ever used e-cigarettes dropped from 7.4% in 2021 to 6.6%, and the proportion of current e-cigarette users decreased from 3.2% to 2.2%. Moreover, 77.4% of respondents expressed support for including e-cigarettes in smoking bans.
CONCLUSIONS: The decline in adult smoking rates has slowed down, reaching a plateau. However, influenced by the smoke-free culture, smokers in Beijing still have strong motivation and need for smoking cessation, making them a key target group for intervention through smoking cessation services. Electronic cigarettes have not gained substantial popularity among Beijing residents.