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Indoor smoking: A partial or total ban?
Editor's note: After a ban on smoking in all indoor public places, Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, has reversed its position to allow designated smoking areas. The amendment has raised widespread outcry. Forum readers share their opinions.
PNP (China)
Why should we make it convenient for smokers to smoke in public? Smoking must be banned completely in public, to protect nonsmokers from poisonous secondhand smoke! No ifs, ands or buts!
markwu (Malaysia)
Smoking is admittedly bad for personal and secondary health. It tars lungs vital for the delivery of oxygen for bodily functions for a healthy life. It is an addiction to narcotize the mind from thinking too much about the vicissitudes of life. Sometimes in terminal stages, it acts as a trigger to even think about something more calmly. That it is roundly bad and yet ignored by smokers is what moves them to continue. Because they no longer value much of their lives enough to want to conform to some norm set by others.
So, on the balance go ahead with the new rules but allow them to move on in their lives with designated places to continue their way. Nonsmokers needn't have to go near those.
GhostBuster (Expat in China)
Smoking should be discouraged! However, some people have die-hard habits. Education failed to stop them from smoking. Laws may not be effective, because when law enforcement is absent, people just smoke.
The best is to lock smokers up in nonsmoking places for 15 days out of town. Upon return, make them sweep the streets. On top of this add a fine of 10,000 yuan, paid in installments without interest within 60 working days! Impound their passports, bank credit cards and other financial support!
Be harsh and tough for a good change!
TedM (UK)
The plans to reduce smoking in China may be a very uphill struggle as this habit is almost a part of Chinese culture. Here it is a part of social life, particularly among men. Smoking bans in public places have been somewhat successful in Western countries, but only after many years of advertising the health issues and raising the tax on tobacco to high levels. Unfortunately it seems that it is young women in the West who have taken up smoking now. It is, however, also true of China that leaders have more power to demand what they believe to be in the best interests of their people, so if bans are imposed and strictly enforced (unlike driving laws), maybe they will succeed. We shall see.
Ted180 (Canada)
I smoked for 50 years, ruined my lungs and now am dying from emphysema. I quit for only one year. Actually the smoking bans worked in Canada. Smoking has been drastically decreased.
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