Peking will rauchfreie Olympische Spiele[en] 

A range of programmes will namely be launched to encourage China - the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer - to quit.

According to the International Olympic Committee, Beijing's campaign for "smoke-free Games" has already led catering facilities, Olympic venues, city departments, hotels and hospitals to ban smoking. In addition, a number of hospitals are providing counselling and medication to help smokers quit. 

Beijing's smoke-free regulations were praised by the WHO China representative Hans Troedsson. He hoped other cities will follow Beijing's example to use the Olympics as a "golden opportunity" to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco as well as on other simple but key factors affecting health.

As for the Beijing's municipal health bureau, it has launched a "Healthy Olympics, Healthy Beijing" programme under which it has distributed health advice kits on chronic illnesses. The aim is to inform households about coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, which are all an increasing problem within the nation's 1.3 billion population.

An overall campaign by the WHO, the Olympics organising committee and the country's Ministry of Health is aimed at highlighting the benefits of healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and physical activity.

China is not the first country hoping to use the momentum of the international games to achieve lasting social change. In the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced his country's intention to use the Games as a tool to spark renewed passion for sport in Britain's young people and pull UK citizens out of their increasingly sedentary lifestyles.