Recently, the National Health Commission ("NHC") and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine ("NATCM") have jointly issued the Circular on Further Strengthening the Construction of Smoke-Free Healthcare Institutions (the "Circular").
The Circular puts forward four requirements: the first is to strengthen organization and leadership to comprehensively build smoke-free healthcare institutions. The second is to strengthen tobacco control measures to ensure that all tasks are implemented. The third is to intensify publicity to create a good atmosphere for the construction of a smoke-free environment. The fourth is to carry out regular evaluations to consolidate the effect of the construction of smoke-free healthcare institutions. Among others, the Circular stresses that healthcare institutions at all levels shall establish a sound system of asking about smoking history in the first diagnosis for patients; grassroots healthcare institutions shall provide smoking cessation counseling services; hospitals of second or higher class shall provide brief smoking cessation intervention services and encourage the inclusion of smoking cessation services in chronic disease management. The Circular also points out that it is necessary to strengthen guidance and management, establish a sound evaluation mechanism, conduct regular open and secret investigation into healthcare institutions in the regions concerned in terms of their smoke-free environment, entrust third parties with evaluations, and announce the relevant results in a timely manner.