The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that Macau’s tobacco use has been continuing to decline, adding that from 2011 to 2022, according to a survey held last year, cigarette use had dropped from 16.6 percent to 10.6 percent of the population, a 36.1 percent decrease during the decade.

The statement pointed out that Macau has reached the target ahead of schedule, in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) initiative calling for all countries and regions in the world to reduce their tobacco use rate by 30 percent in 2025 compared with 2010, with Macau’s overall rate of traditional tobacco use having shown a “gradual decline”.

However, the statement pointed out that the usage rate of e-cigarettes among local youngsters has been significantly higher than that of traditional tobacco, which can be seen from the findings of a survey showing that the usage rate of e-cigarettes among local middle school students aged 13 to 15 increased from 2.6 percent in 2015 to 4.0 percent in 2021.

The local Tobacco Prevention and Control Law took effect on January 1, 2012. The government has further strengthened the control of e-cigarettes since December 5 last year by implementing a ban on the manufacture, distribution, sale, import and export of e-cigarettes, aiming to eliminate the circulation of “new tobacco products” in the local market and to protect the next generation from the harmful effects of them.

The statement noted that smoking is the main cause of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), adding that the longer the time and the greater the amount people smoke, the higher the risk that they will suffer from the disease.

According to the statement, the bureau has gradually been setting up “smoking cessation consultation clinics” at the local health centres since 2006, where full-time doctors and nurses are providing residents with free counselling and smoking cessation services, including the formulation of smoking cessation plans, pre-course assessment, in-course discussion and counselling, drug assessment and post-course follow-up counselling.

The statement noted that a daily average of 3,620 people who received smoking cessation counselling and assessment services were recorded in the past five years, pointing out that the success rate of smoking cessation is “ideal”.

The main COPD symptoms include coughing, wheezing, dyspnoea (shortness of breath), chest pain and decreased mobility, which can gradually worsen over time, the statement noted. 

This undated handout photo provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday shows its anti-smoking inspectors in action.