Public Reactions to the Cigarette Control Regulation on a Chinese Microblogging Platform: Empirical Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Media Analysis
• Health Policy

Background:

• Hangzhou, China implemented a new public smoking control regulation on January 1, 2019.
• Chinese media extensively reported the regulation on Weibo, sparking significant public discussion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze social media content and network patterns in response to the new smoking control regulation.
• To understand public sentiment and identify key themes in online discussions.

Main Methods:

• Content and network analysis of Weibo microblogs over 8 days post-implementation.
• Identification of key users and influential microblogs through social network visualization and descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• Over 7900 microblogs were analyzed, with 12.85% expressing support and 1.31% opposition to the regulation.
• Neutral posts constituted 84.12%, with negative feedback focusing on policy intentions, implementation, and e-cigarette rules.
• A high proportion of users (91.66%) explicitly showed supportive attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Social media analysis revealed significantly more positive than negative attitudes towards the smoking control regulation.
• Findings can inform policymakers about public reception, potential impacts, and support for evidence-based health regulations.