Tobacco use is the world's single biggest cause of preventable death and noncommunicable disease. Up to half of all smokers will die from tobacco-related illnesses such as cancer or lung and heart disease.

China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. There are more than 300 million smokers in China, nearly one-third of the world's total. More than half of adult men are current tobacco smokers. About one in every three cigarettes smoked in the world is smoked in China. In addition, over 700 million non-smokers in China, including about 180 million children, are exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) at least once a day in a typical week. Exposure to SHS causes 100,000 deaths annually.