Stub it out: China’s Jilin challenges smokers to quit for 90 days

China’s northeastern Jilin province is challenging smokers to give up cigarettes for 90 days and prove it through medical testing. The province-wide competition, launched on Sept. 1, offers participants one-on-one support from doctors, including psychological intervention and medical assistance.

Participants must be at least 18 and have smoked for more than a year. They will attend an initial consultation, return for follow-up visits and finish with an exhaled carbon monoxide test to verify whether they have quit. Those who succeed will receive an honorary certificate.

Registration remains open until Sept. 20, but demand appeared strong from the start. By the evening of the first registration day, more than half of the participating clinics had filled their available slots, Jimu News reported after checking the competition’s online registration portal.

The initiative comes as China steps up efforts to curb smoking through outdoor restrictions, public campaigns and volunteer patrols. More than one million people in the country die from smoking-related diseases each year, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

China’s national health plan for 2026 to 2030 calls for stronger smoking-cessation services and more smoke-free environments. It retains a target of reducing the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above to 20% by 2030. The 2024 Adult Tobacco Survey put the rate at 23.2%, including 43.9% among men and 1.8% among women.

Other provinces and cities have used similar contests. Shanghai has planned stricter enforcement of indoor smoking bans and discouragement of smoking in outdoor public spaces, while Hebei has held “100 people, 100 days” quit-smoking contests since 2021. A 2026 contest in Shijiazhuang offered successful participants entry into a lucky draw with a 3,000-yuan first prize.

Jilin’s campaign has also prompted online debate about whether authorities should impose tougher penalties. One Xiaohongshu user asked, “Why not just raise the fines? They could bring in more revenue for the country.” China still lacks a comprehensive nationwide ban on smoking in indoor public places, with enforcement varying across the country.

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Why not just raise the fines? They could bring in more revenue for the country.