Difference between revisions of "Team:Worldshaper-XSHS/HP/Silver"

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland on May 21st 2003. The treaty came into force on February 27th 2005. It had been signed by 168 countries and is legally binding in 181 ratifying countries. [1] The FCTC is a supranational agreement that seeks "to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke" by enacting a set of universal standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide.[2]

China signed the FCTC on November 10th 2003 and officially joined FCTC on August 28th 2005. On May 1st 2010, China officially implemented a smoking ban in Beijing, which stipulates that 10 types of public places, including restaurants, Internet cafes and gymnasiums, will completely ban smoking. December 29, 2013, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has required leading cadres at all levels to abide by the smoking ban regulations in public places and to set an example with practical actions. On November 24, 2014, China first proposed to Formulate administrative regulations to comprehensively control tobacco across the country. [3] On March 2018, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China was found, who are going to lead the tobacco control in China. [4] [5]

According to the Report of Health Risk from Smoking in China, there are more than 300 million smokers in China and about 750 million non-smokers face with risks from second-hand smoke; every year, more than 1 million people dead are caused from smoking-related illness. [6] Moreover, comparing the United States and China, there is a very strange phenomenon: about 85% of American women with lung cancer are smokers, while in China, more than 80% of female lung cancer patients never smoke! And second-hand smoke is a clear carcinogen. [7]

Recently, more than more citizen in China began to protect themselves from second-hand smoke through law, In June 2017, when college student Li took the K1301 train, she found passengers even train attendants smoking on the train. So she took the Harbin Railway bureau to court. On June 25, 2018, the Beijing Railway Transport Court made a first-instance judgment, and it was illegal to set up a smoking area on the train. The Harbin Railway Bureau requested that the smoking items on the K1301 train be dismantled within 30 days .On the first day of the effective date of the judgment, at 10:15 am, the K1301 train became the first ordinary train that formally completely ban smoking on it. [8]

Therefore, United Nation and governments around world, including Chinese government, have reached extensive consensus tobacco control (TC) and second-hand smoke (SHS) problem. And in China, TC and SHS have been very serious health issues even social problems.

[1] http://www.who.int/fctc/en/

[2] Brandt, Allan M. The Cigarette Century: the Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America. New York: Basic, 2007.

[3] http://www.tobacco.gov.cn/history_filesystem/2014yckz/index.html

[4] http://www.nhfpc.gov.cn/zhuz/jgzn/lmtt.shtml

[5] https://www.sohu.com/a/225563504_452205

[6]http://www.nhfpc.gov.cn/zwgk/wtwj/201308/7aaa27b0e9074be784c3cb07b50b0022.shtml

[7] http://www.sohu.com/a/212035011_99983361

[8] http://www.notc.org.cn/gzdt/201807/t20180731_189365.html

Based on the background investigation results we made a questionnaire, which was focus on smoking especially second-hand smoke issue as well as the people’s confidence on our synthetic biology project.

We handed out more than 200 paper and electronic questionnaires to general public. The respondents are almost half male and half female (49% vs 51%) and most of them are 35 year-old and up (43% for 35-45 and 29% for 45 and up). There are not any occupation that has significant preponderance.

According to the information collected from survey, we found the overwhelming majority of respondents have concerns on second-hand smoke. More than half of the respondents have family members who are addicted to smoke (see. Figure 1) and 98% of the respondents point out that they are inevitably exposed to the second-hand smoke (51% often and 47% sometimes, see Figure 2). There are no pro-smoking advocates, and only 29% respondents think smoking is acceptable. In addition, everyone feel dissatisfied about passive smoking and the non-smokers can hardly avoid the harm derived from cigarette. “I hate smoking, but why I cannot keep away from the dangers of smoking?” A man complained.

Moreover, we found that the public has general understanding of the harm of second-hand smoke and nicotine (99.4%), as well as relevant diseases caused by hazardous substance. However, the pubic is not familiar with synthetic biology ----- half of interviewees heard the term for the first time. Therefore, we decided to advertise relevant knowledge by holding some public education events.

Surprisingly, 84% of respondents support to utilize technology about synthetic biology to remove second-hand smoking though they actually do not understand synthetic biology. (Figure 3) Besides, most of respondents have positive expectations about its potential economic value. This result really encouraged us to continue our project. The removal of second-hand smoke is just a beginning: at the same time, synthetic biology also offers more opportunities for human to process exhaust gas pollution and promote environmental protection. "The future is promising," as we anticipate.

In conclusion, we confirmed the severity of second-hand smoke problem and proved the potential huge value of the research project. Furthermore, the public attitude to the solution that we address the second-hand smoke based on synthetic biology is positive.

Experts interview

In order to better address the problem and improve the product design we interviewed some professionals and experts in the related fields.

1)Prof. Hu Baolan, deputy dean of College of Environmental and Resource Sciences，Zhejiang University.

Ecologic building Professor Hu Baolan

Prof. Lv Zhenmei and teammate during interview