Regional smoking bans have shielded only about 10 percent of the Chinese population from the harmful effects of tobacco in public venues, China Daily reported Friday, citing comments made by health experts.

The country aims to raise the rate of people protected by anti-smoking rules to 30 percent by 2022 and 80 percent by 2030, according to a health promotion plan released in July by the State Council, China's cabinet.

"In China, it took more than a decade to implement smoking bans in about 20 cities. The slow pace is worrisome, and health authorities should hasten efforts to curb tobacco use," the newspaper said, quoting Xiao Lin, a researcher at the Tobacco Control Office at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

At present, 23 cites across China have rolled out regulations to restrict smoking in public spaces, including office buildings and public transport.
All capitals of provincial-level regions and other large cities with a population of more than 2 million should implement smoking bans in the next three years, Cui Xiaobo, vice-president of the Beijing Tabacco Control Association, was quoted as saying.

"It is also necessary to deliver more services to help heavy smokers quit, as a large number of cities have not launched such services yet," said Xu Guihua, a consultant to the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control.