China's Health Minister Chen Zhu on Sunday asked the countries male health and medical workers to quit smoking and set an example to other smokers to follow suit reported China Daily.

The minister, as he launched a campaign to discourage smoking among medical staff said,   "Medical workers and those who take the decisions regarding people's health should take the lead to quit smoking and completely ban indoor smoking to set a good example for their patients and others who look up to them."

China is the world's largest cigarette producer and Chinese avid smokers with about 320 million smokers and 56.8 % of male doctors in the country smoking. According to the China Preventive Medicine Association (CPMA), "It is the highest rate in the world."

The country was successful in hosting a "smoke-free" Olympics last year yet the country continues to face difficulties getting its citizens to give up the killer habit due to lack of relevant legislations, policy implementation and awareness campaigns, Chen said.

Chen said, "International experience has it that when doctors give up smoking, it encourages a lot of others to kick the habit."

Chinese cigarettes are the cheapest in the world and a packet costs just a few cents and the toll it takes on people’s health is apparent as 1 million Chinese smokers die every year.

The campaign that was launched by the CPMA to encourage health workers to kick the habit has been joined by 10 leading health associations and 10 universities who have vowed to make medical schools, hospitals and associations "completely smoke-free" this year.

Wang Longde, the head of the CPMA and a deputy to the upcoming National People's Congress, said he will propose to push forward the drafting of the legislation in tobacco prevention and control during the session.

Wang Chen, head of the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, said their institution has been successfully awarding an anti-tobacco bonus to employees who do not smoke.