Hui Lin Zheng Blog #4: Representations of Cigarette Smoking

An addiction that is vastly different from how it is represented in the United States is the smoking culture in China. The Chinese are one of the heaviest smokers in the world. Smoking is associated with masculinity and is a rite into manhood. It is also essential for socializing and people who don’t smoke are often pressured into smoking to fit in. The Chinese are aware that smoking is a dangerous addiction, but the smoking culture in China is so predominant that the addiction problems are often ignored. Smoking cigarettes is considered a normal ritual in the everyday lives of Chinese people.

We can even see this culture of smoking here on campus among the international students. Many of the international students at the University smoke on a regular basis and have started smoking from a young age. They smoke to de-stress, to socialize with friends, and even during networking events.

I have three roommates who are all Chinese international students and two of them smoke cigarettes on a regular basis. To them, smoking is a casual pastime and they started smoking because they saw friends and acquaintances smoking and smoked to fit in. It is not so simple as smoking to feel like they fit in, but rather fitting in to make connections with their peers and network. And this networking is essential for finding jobs in the future. The representation of smoking is so entwined with the social culture in China that they overlook the fact it is an addictive substance. I think it’s interesting to look at a culture where cigarettes are not associated with addiction and is instead seen as a successful habit.

This article provides more information about the smoking culture in China:

https://thediplomat.com/2015/10/chinas-deadly-smoking-habit/