At the beginning of New Year’s Day in 2026, a wave of quitting smoking has swept across the internet. It is said that more than 50 million people have responded to this “National Quit Smoking Movement” because of a video circulating online titled “The Tobacco Family’s Pocket Money is Two Hundred Thousand a Month,” which angered smokers – “I smoke, you get rich!”
Just how wealthy are tobacco industry employees? A netizen named “Ima Yatiao Hot Strip Leader” released a video featuring an interview with an 18-year-old descendant of a tobacco family. He told reporters that his parents give him a monthly allowance of 200,000 yuan, the family owns seven or eight houses, and he proudly listed off his designer outfits from head to toe. “Ima Yatiao Hot Strip Leader” asked, “After hearing this news, have you decided to quit smoking?”
Earlier, a tobacco industry employee revealed her salary. She holds a mid-level technical position, with a monthly pension of 3,000 yuan and a take-home salary of 20,000 yuan. With annual bonuses of over 100,000 yuan, her yearly income starts at 300,000 yuan. What’s even more astonishing is that the tobacco system implements a comprehensive social security system and retirement benefits, ensuring a comfortable income of nearly 10,000 yuan per month after retirement.
Meanwhile, millions of smokers, who tighten their belts daily to afford a pack of “economy cigarettes” for 10 yuan, end up spending 3,650 yuan a year. They cough with black lungs, carry mortgage debts on their backs, and unknowingly become invisible blood donors supporting the tobacco system’s “golden rice bowl.”
Some smokers are calling out to others online, saying, “Brothers, let’s stop feeding those jerks!” This has sparked enthusiastic reactions, forming a trend of quitting smoking. “I’m quitting smoking this year too,” “Count me in,” “I’m quitting to stop feeding these jerks,” “National quit smoking movement, take action now,” “I quit, let’s do it together,” “Resolutely quit smoking!” Some even shared their struggles on the first day of quitting, stating that it’s tough but necessary.
“Ima Yatiao Hot Strip Leader” mentioned that before releasing the video, 47 million people had already quit smoking.