"No Smoking" sign is displayed in a restaurant in central Beijing May 1, 2011. [Photo / Reuters]

The Chinese government included smoking bans for public places in its  12th Five-year Plan, and a national regulation banning indoor smoking took effect on May 1.

It is believed that these government initiatives will help to stimulate the growing smoking cessation market.

Venturepharm, a domestic pharmaceudical company, is the only Chinese company producing smoking cessation medication. However, the company has yet to realize profits from sales of the medication.

"Although we haven't made any profits from our medication, we are confident that we eventually will. The government's policies and the public's increasing health awareness are positive signs," said Liu Wenqi, the company's sales manager.

Hu Angang, a professor of public administration at Tsinghua University, suggested that community hospitals should have professional doctors and nurses available to help smokers quit smoking and give them relevant guidance and advice.