Beijing passes bill to ban smoking in all indoor public places

Beijing adopted anti-smoking legislation to ban smoking in all indoor public places, workplaces and public transport vehicles on Friday.

The draft regulation was passed by vote at a meeting of the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress. It is scheduled to become effective on June 1 next year.

According to the bill, smoking is also prohibited in open-air space in kindergartens, schools, child welfare institutions, women and children's hospitals, fitness and sports venues, and cultural relic protection sites that are open to the public.

Tobacco advertisements are not allowed to appear outdoors, in public places and transport, as well as in media including radio, TV, films, newspapers, books, and internet. All forms of tobacco promotions and title sponsorship are banned.

Teachers are forbidden from smoking in front of students in primary and secondary schools. Schools are also required to help students quit smoking and educate them about the harm of smoking.

The regulation also prohibits selling cigarettes to minors through vending machines and the internet.

People who smoke in designated smoke-free areas will be fined up to 200 yuan(32.5 US dollars).

According to the regulation, legal representatives and people in charge of government agencies, public institutions and social organizations will be given the authority to implement the smoking ban in their workplaces.

The main responsibility to enforce the regulation in the public places will be on the shoulders of the managers and operators.

BUMPY ROAD

Since it was unveiled in April, the draft regulation has undergone three revisions and triggered controversy over the range of smoke-free areas.

The first draft amendment, published in August, only bans smoking in "shared indoor public places" and permits smoking rooms in hotels and waiting lounges of airports.

The second draft amendment in September included a ban on smoking in single occupancy offices by removing the word "shared" from the draft, but the stipulation on smoking rooms remained unchanged.

The draft was finally restored to the tougher original version after a third revision.