Beijing bans indoor smoking, fear remains over enforcement

 China’s toughest ban on smoking in public places came into effect on Monday in the capital Beijing, home to around 4.2 million smokers, amid widespread scepticism over weak enforcement of the new law as tobacco sale fetch a whopping $145 billion revenue to the government.

The new legislation prohibits smoking in all indoor public places, including offices, shopping malls and airports, as well as at outdoor stadiums, school grounds and public parks. 

More than 1,000 inspectors were today sent to government agencies, hospitals, schools, hotels and other places to ensure the law is followed.

The officials found cigarette butts in hotpot restaurant’s washroom, with the restaurant failing to publicise the smoking complaint hotline 12320 on its no-smoking posters, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The inspectors said they would return in two days to ensure the restaurant comply with the law. The 

flouting of the ban may attract fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,600).

Individuals caught smoking in public places may be fined 200 yuan ($32), while businesses will have to pay up to 100,000 yuan for failing to prevent smoking on their premises. Venues which repeatedly ignore the law could have their licenses revoked.

As the world’s largest tobacco maker and consumer, China has more than 300 million smokers, almost the size of the US <g data-gr-id="25">population,</g> and another 740 million people are exposed to secondhand smoke. Cigarettes sale fetch about $145 billion annually and tobacco is a prime crop on which millions of Chinese farmers <g data-gr-id="22">depend</g>.