News outlets examine the results of a new study released by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, titled “Smoking Prevalence and Cigarette Consumption in 187 Countries, 1980-2012.” Results show that China, in particular, has seen a rise in its number of smokers.

U.S. News & World Report: Study: World Has Nearly 1 Billion New Smokers
“Though the percentage of smokers worldwide has declined, the actual number of smokers has increased, said a study released Wednesday by the University of Washington. … Large countries like China and Indonesia have actually encountered an influx of smokers. In fact the World Health Organization states ‘about one in three cigarettes smoked in the world is in China'” (Beard, 1/9).

New York Times: Smoking Prevalence Steady in China, but Numbers Rise
“After decades of decline, the prevalence of smoking in China has held steady in recent years. Coupled with population growth, this means there are now more smokers in China than ever, according to a new study on global smoking prevalence published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association…” (Qin, 1/9).

CNN: China, world’s leading tobacco user, moves to ban indoor public smoking
“China, the world’s largest tobacco consumer, is aiming to ban indoor smoking in public areas by the end of the year. About one in three cigarettes smoked in the world is in China, according to the World Health Organization. … The country’s health authorities estimate over a million deaths from tobacco-related diseases every year. The WHO warns that if tobacco use is not decreased in China, these deaths will increase to three million by 2050…” (Park, 1/9).