Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is round table.
Hello everybody, I'm Hae young.
Welcome to roundtable's special World no Tobacco Day program, where we clear the air and celebrate the global strides towards a smoke free future.
As we focus on this year's theme, youth step in and speak out, we'll explore the impactful measures China has undertaken to curb smoke smoking issues.
These regional initiatives have successfully driven down smoking rates and fostered smoke free environments, paving the way for a healthier future.
For this discussion, we're honored to have Mister Martin Taylor, the World Health Organization, or who representative to China with us.
Welcome, Martin.
Thank you very much for the invitation.
It's lovely to be here.
It's great to have you.
Let's start this off with the exciting things you guys are doing.
This year's World no Tobacco Day theme focuses on protecting youth from tobacco industry interference.
And around the world, an estimated 37 million youth aged between 13 and 15 years old used tobacco.
So what specific activities and campaigns is the who rolling out in China to address this issue?
Excellent question.
And maybe, can I start by saying why we're doing this?
The important thing in terms of why we're doing this is because we're trying to protect people's future and the country's future, not just from the health impacts of smoking.
If people begin to smoke when they're young, and their potential future of asthma or lung cancer or heart disease, but also because of the other things that they may not be aware of, the fact that it can impact on brain development and have therefore an impact on performance at school or university, impact on their mental health anxiety, on sexual health, on how their skin is, their aging.
So there's lots of very good reasons to do this, which is not just about health, but it's about people's general livelihoods.