But smoking in China is ridiculous. First of all, the world's biggest tobacco company is here, and it is a government owned enterprise. Of course the government isn't going to implement anti-smoking programs, that's where all their money comes from! The government spends about 2.5 million American dollars here on anti-smoking programs. Compared to the US's $500million. Not that big of a difference right? You can buy a pack of cigarettes here for 2.5 Yuan which is equal to forty-five cents in America. Forty. Five. Cents. No wonder people are addicted! The government might as well be handing them out to people. And "No smoking" signs here are a complete joke. Just like every other law in China, not even the police care, and they wouldn't do anything about it if they did, because they would be taking their twentieth smoking break of the day. People smoke while driving, in public parks, around schools, around CHILDREN. I was in an elevator with a guy smoking the other day, people have no regard for people around them when it comes to second-hand smoke. Dear China, are the 400+ PM2.5 pollution levels not enough for you? You have to destroy your lungs with poisonous gases that shorten your life span, yellow your teeth and mandate your daily life? Honestly!
Get this, the official website of the anti-smoking office of the CDC (center for disease control) here has an anti-smoking hotline right? Wrong. When you click on the link to the hotline, it comes up with an empty web page. I checked it on three different computers just to make sure. Nothing! There's also a link to a website that can help you quit smoking right? Technically yes, the link leads you to the Quit Coach, which is a great website I'm sure, for native speakers of English. There's no Chinese. So, how are Chinese people going to use it? Hmm? No answer China? Oh really. And besides their lack of resources, the ads put out by the CDC are ridiculous. They are little cartoons with evil-faced cigarettes on them saying "don't smoke if you want to be a good citizen".
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| The man is saying: "in order to plant a forest for my future generations". So Chinese |
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| It looks like they're about to break out in song and dance. |
I would go so far as to say they were cute! You all know the ads by the Truth right? the lungs being cut in half to reveal how black they are, and brains cut in half to reveal blood clots. And the ads by the American CDC showing the woman named Terri with a hole in her neck, and people dying of lung cancer. Those ads are terrifying! They may be a little overdone, as some people are not that severely affected by smoking, but I think that any amount of casualties calls for serious actions.
Woooow that was quite a rant. I meant that to be a quick blogpost. Well it's not my fault! China is stupid sometimes. There are so many things I want to change. At times, I can't blame the government, because there are so many freaking people that it must be hard to manage, but then I do blame the government. Because this government is not for the people, it exists in spite of the people. It takes from them and ignores them when they are in need, requires too much of them and does its best to deny them of the things they need to get by. There is absolutely NO POINT in government unless it is for the people. People make up the world! And you can't control them forever, China.
Oh man if I don't stop now I'll be ranting all night. Done now.
Self love. Be excellent to each other.
Goodnight from China.
