To all the smokers, heavy drinkers, and hardcore partiers in China: with three million deaths caused each year by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), it might be time for a lifestyle change.

According to the latest figues by the World Health Organization, more than three million people die prematurely each year in China because of NCDs, which includes lung cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

“The report is a dramatic wake-up call. There is an urgent need for strong action to stop millions of Chinese men and women from dying in their most productive years from diseases that can be prevented simply by changing common, unhealthy lifestyle habits: smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and not enough physical activity,” Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO’s representative in China, told the China Daily.

Nearly four in ten NCD deaths among Chinese men, and three in ten (31.9 percent) among Chinese women, are premature before the age of 70, the report showed.

Not surprisingly, a lot of Chinese readers were shocked by the figures, and the topic. Following the story, #MoreThan3MillionChineseDiePrematurely#, was trending on Weibo. Perhaps not surprisingly, many stunned smokers and drinkers commented, “Gosh, I need a smoke to calm my nerves”.

Photos: Made In China