InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
BEIJING -- China and the United States have established the Sino-U.S. Partnership on Smoke-free Workplaces, pledging cemented efforts regarding tobacco control in workplaces.
The partnership was announced in a joint statement issued by China's Ministry of Health and the Dept. of Health and Human Services of the United States Friday, Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
Under the partnership, both sides pledged to boost bilateral cooperation in the field within the public and private sectors, and hoped to draw more attention to the dangers of tobacco and improve the health of employees by controlling smoking in workplaces.
The MOH and HHS along with key partners will recruit participants including government offices and enterprises to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in public places.
Tobacco use is a leading cause of death in China and the US.
Over 1 million people in China and an estimated 443,000 people in the US die from tobacco-related diseases every year.
The Chinese government has included a public smoking ban in the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) issued last March.
China's top legislature is also actively preparing for tobacco control legislation, as a smoking ban for indoor public places issued last year was deemed ineffective.
OTHER WORLD STORIES
