A college in Xi'an has been gaining a lot of attention on social media in China for posting signs with amusing slogans to discourage students from smoking.

 

西安某高校张贴阻止学生吸烟的搞笑海报在社交媒体上引起大量关注。
 

 

The anti-smoking signs posted at the Xi'an Traffic Engineering Institute have gained praise on Weibo for the humourous and down-to-earth tone, with some slogans writing "No girlfriend/boyfriend if you smoke" and "- What's our slogan? - To ban smoking!"

 

"It's creative and funny," said one internet user. "I think it's a good measure. Smoking is always harmful to health."

 

The signs, designed and made by members of the student union, have been posted in the canteen and on the trees around the campus.

 

Zuo Chenxi, a teacher from the Communist Youth League committee of the college, says the signs are designed to convey a message to students that smoking is harmful to their health. "To promote anti-smoking campaigns through measures that are more accepted by young students is better than compulsory¹ ones," said Zuo.

 

Though the Chinese government pledged to further combat smoking in 2013 when it signs the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control with World Health Organization, the smoking rate has been increasing in the country since then, especially among youth, according to a report by Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

 

Data shows the smoking rate among people aged² 15 to 24 years old increased from 8.3 percent in 2003 to 12.5 percent in 2013.

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