Non-smoking banners are displayed on the iconic Bird's Nest National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, June 1, 2015. (Xinhua/Guo Haipeng)
A downtown hotpot restaurant was the first business to get an official warning for breaking Beijing's toughened smoking ban, as inspectors swooped to enforce the new regulation on Monday.
On the first day of the ban, which prohibits smoking in all indoor public places, workplaces, and on public transport, authorities sent more than 1,000 inspectors to government agencies, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues to ensure it is being followed.
The inspectors found cigarette butts in the hotpot restaurant's washroom on Monday morning, with the restaurant also failing to publicize the smoking complaint hotline 12320 on its no-smoking posters.
Inspectors said they will visit again in two days to check the restaurant's compliance, and warned of a fine up to 100,000 yuan (1,614 U.S. dollars) if it fails to comply.
The new ban was passed by Beijing's municipal legislature in November. Individuals caught smoking in public places may be fined 200 yuan (32 U.S. dollars), while businesses will have to pay up to 100,000 for failing to discourage smoking on their premises.
As the world's largest tobacco maker and consumer, China has more than 300 million smokers, almost the size of the U.S. population, and another 740 million people are exposed to second-hand smoke each year.
Ma Yongsheng, who runs a restaurant in Beijing, canceled a wedding banquet reservation on Monday, as a guest insisted on smoking during the meal.
"If we continue to host guests who smoke, we'll surely be fined," Ma said.
At Beijing Capital International Airport, people gathered at two designated outdoor smoking areas to have a last puff as indoor smoking rooms in the airport's three terminals have all been closed.
While regulators has vowed strict implementation, some still doubt the feasibility of the new ban and fear authorities' resolve to curb smoking could taper over time and leave the ban as ineffective as its predecessors.
