China TV gangster on anti-smoking lobby's hitlist

BEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) A Chinese television actor, who forced himself to take up smoking to give his Shanghai gangster a more ''convincing personality'', has sparked a blaze of criticism for smoking too much on screen, state media said today.

China is the world's largest cigarette producer and Chinese are the world's most enthusiastic smokers, with a growing market of about 320 million, making it a magnet for multinationals and focus of international health concern.

Viewers had complained that though actor Huang Xiaoming looked cool as Big Brother Xu Wenqiang in the new series ''The Bund'', a cigarette hanging from his lips, he was sending out all the wrong messages, the China Daily said.

''Almost all the scenes show the actors smoking. Xu (the hero) even smokes while fighting and flirting... there is no drama without smoke,'' Wanglinwang, a viewer, was quoted as saying in his blog.

''...I quit smoking many years ago and the smell of tobacco makes me sick. But I am a fan of the TV series and now I want to smoke again like Xu Wenqiang.'' The Think Tank Research Centre for Health Development had submitted a formal complaint to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television criticising the series, the China Daily said.

China has banned smoking on public transport, but it is still allowed in many public places, such as restaurants, and it is not uncommon to see people smoking in hospitals.

The country needs to rein in smoking or the habit could end up killing 2.2 million Chinese a year by 2020, the World Health Organisation said in May.

Chinese cigarettes are also among the cheapest in the world and a packet can cost as little as 0.08 dollars.

REUTERS PY VV1240