Smoking is cool!!

September 8th, 2009

Tomorrow is my first day teaching in China. My students are 2-8 years old (I KNOW!!) and I have to give each of them a work book that has multiple pictures that show cartoon characters smoking.

In China, cigarettes are cool. Really, really, really cool. Avoiding cigarette smoke outside of my apartment is impossible. Men light-up in packed elevators, taxi drivers smoke while they drive, people smoke on the bus, in the mall, in grocery stores and of course, in every single restaurant. I honestly don’t think that Chinese men are capable of having a meal without simultaneously sucking on a cigarette. You’d think you’d be safe from smoke in a doctor’s office or hospital, right? Nope! Smoking is allowed there too. GROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

According to the BBC, three quarters of all Chinese men are smokers. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a huge understatement. I’ve asked the Chinese girls at my school about this statistic. They agree with me that ALL men in China are smokers. In fact, they were beyond shocked when Brandon and Josh told them that they never smoke.

China is the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer. And why not? Did you know that cigarettes aren’t bad for you?!?! Surveys show that 2/3 of Chinese people think smoking does little or no harm, 60% think it does not cause lung cancer and 96% do not know that it causes heart disease. Sounds good, right? It gets better: Chinese cigarettes are cheap. The average pack costs 30-50 cents (usd).
There is some good news: women don’t smoke! According to the BBC, only 4% of Chinese women are smokers. Apparently smoking is considered “slutty” and is “only something that bad girls do.” Sweet! I like this double standard!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06123/686910-294.stm#ixzz0QfaRY1Oh
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/216998.stm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159290.php