The smoking rate in Taiwan has reached all-time low. That’s the word from the director general of the health ministry’s Health Promotion Administration, Chiou Shu-ti.
Chiou said Tuesday that the percentage of smokers in Taiwan has fallen from 32.5% in 1990 to 18% in the latest survey. She also said that the percentage of high school-aged smokers dropped from 15.2% in 2005 to 11.9% last year.
Chiou said, "We have new figures related to our efforts over the past few years. The smoking rate among adults has fallen to 18% and the smoking rate among women has fallen to 3.3%. You can say that this is the lowest level in many years. What makes us even happier is that the smoking rates for middle and high school students have fallen to historic lows. The smoking rate among high school students has fallen to 11.9%, while the rate for middle school students has fallen to 5.2%. This is something we’ll continue to work on."
Research shows that for people trying to quit smoking, the first 28 days is a critical period. Those who make it through this initial period are five times less likely to take up smoking again.
The Health Promotion Administration is working with designer Xiao Qing-yang to help people who are trying to quit. Xiao has designed a kit that includes a bag and an interactive day planner.