Shanghai's smoking ban may be expanded

Shanghai's smoking ban may be expanded to cover all indoor venues later this year after city legislators review the smoke-control law which came into effect in 2009.

Private companies will be among the major groups to be affected if legislators tighten the indoor smoking ban.

Fourteen local legislators have proposed a complete ban on smoking at all indoor venues.

Currently, office buildings of state-owned operations, government administrations and other public facilities including hospitals and campuses are required to be completely smoke free.

There is also no smoking in Internet cafes, entertainment venues and hotels' public areas under current legislation, while larger restaurants have to provide designated smoking areas and prohibit smoking elsewhere.

The city's tobacco control watchdogs say catching illegal smokers and fining them is still difficult and local lawmakers are due to meet law enforcement agencies to review the effects of the legislation later this year.