Beijing rolls out tough anti-smoking laws

Beijing has banned smoking in restaurants, offices and on public transport from today, part of unprecedented new curbs welcomed by anti-tobacco advocates, though how they will be enforced remains to be seen.

Health activists have pushed for years for stronger restrictions on smoking on the mainland, the world's largest tobacco consumer, which is considering further anti-smoking curbs nationwide.

Under the rules, anyone in the capital who violates the ban, which includes smoking near schools and hospitals, must pay a 200 yuan (HK$250) fine. The present fine, which is seldom enforced, is just 10 yuan.

Anyone who breaks the law three times will be named and shamed on a government website. Businesses, meanwhile, can be fined up to 10,000 yuan for failing to stamp out smoking on their premises.

"Restaurant staff have a duty to try to dissuade people from smoking," said Mao Qunan, of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. "If they don't listen to persuasion, then law enforcement authorities will file a case against them."

The government would also no longer allow cigarettes to be sold in shops within 100 metres of primary schools and kindergartens, according to state media.