Posted: Submitted by wtanaka (648) on Mon, 2006-02-13 16:28. | Subject: China to ban new cigarette factories

China will not allow new cigarette factories, including joint ventures with foreign partners, as part of efforts to reduce smoking in a country that puffs its way through almost two trillion cigarettes a year.

Cynical as it might sound, I bet the government could curb smoking by increasing taxes (as an added benefit, taxing things like smoking is usually a great revenue source).  However, there would probably be more and other problems created by population increasing by another 1.2 million people a year.