Beijing has fewer smokers after a smoking ban was introduced

Speakers: Li Ningjing, Sam Duckett, and Lu Sirui

Beijing has fewer smokers as a smoking ban was initiated 2 years ago [Photo: Baidu.com]

A newly released report shows Beijing had fewer smokers last year, and it's said to be a result of the city's smoking ban.

According to the Report on Health Conditions in Beijing, the rate of smokers aged 15 years old and above in 2016 was a little above 22 percent.

That is over 1 percentage points lower than 2014, amounting to 200,000 fewer smokers in the city.

In the same period, close to 17 percent of smokers quit the habit, up nearly 2 percent, while another 15 percent of the surveyed smokers said they will quit smoking in the next 12 months.

Statistics show Beijing has more than four million adult smokers.

The city rolled out what has been deemed its "strictest smoking ban in history" on June 1, 2015, prohibiting smoking in indoor public places, workplaces and public transportation.

The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.