Beijing plans to ban smoking in all roofed public places

Beijing is expected to legislate a ban on smoking indoors in 2010. Smoking in public places such as restaurants will be abolished. Those who break the law will be fined 50 to 200 yuan.

According to Cui Xiaobo, deputy secretary general at Chinese Association on Smoking and Health in Beijing, who participated in the creation of Beijing's smoking control law, if all goes smoothly, the newly-revised Rules Concerning the Smoking Ban in Public Places in Beijing will be examined and approved by Beijing Municipal People's Congress on December 15. The new law will abolish the smoking areas and smoking rooms currently seen in public places, such as hotels, restaurants and office buildings, and stipulate that smoking is prohibited in public places, but not in the home.

In this new law there will also be penalties set up for citizens who smoke in the aforementioned public places. "Anyone who breaks the law will be fined no less than the norm in Shanghai (50 to 200 yuan)," Cui said, "Groups or businesses that break the law will probably be fined 10,000 yuan." Legislation on smoking control in Beijing will be officially launched in the second half of 2010

Beijing plans to select 500,000 smoke-free families in 2010

After setting up smoke-free schools and hospitals, Beijing plans to set up 500,000 smoke-free families in 2010. Cui said on December 15 that the smoke-free families will act as role models in their communities to promote enthusiasm for the new smoking legislation.

In order to be considered a smoke-free family, there are certain standards that have been established, including that no family member can smoke, and you also have to be able to persuade guests not to smoke in your home or car either. Smoke-free families will be selected and recommended by the community residents' committee. Cui said that the detailed regulations will be submitted to and examined and approved by Beijing Municipal Government and then announced to the public.

Translated by LOTO