An estimated 49.2 million (19.8%) or nearly 1 in 5 adults reported using tobacco products in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) analysis of the 2019-2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
Uncle Chen, nicknamed the 'Smoking Brother', managed to complete the Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes on January 7 this year But despite crossing the finish line only five minutes slower than his 3:28 finish two years ago, the 52-year-old was disqualified for 'smoking on the track' Chen running the Xinanjiang Marathon in Jiande, China, while chain-smoking a packet of cigarettes in 2022 The Xiamen Marathon committee later issued a statement announcing Chen's disqualification
But efforts have been hampered by the habit's popularity, and its usefulness as a source of tax revenue - the government collects about 428bn yuan (44bn, $67bn) in tobacco taxes each year
The move comes ten years after the bidding process was opened up to foreign manufacturers a decade ago in 2006
So, playing businesswoman, are we
In fact, the addiction to cigarettes is not just chemical, it is layered
