Nearly 600 Beijingers fined after breaking smoking ban

Five months after Beijing introduced a tough smoking ban, 217 organizations and 598 individuals have been fined for breaking the regulation, local authorities said Wednesday.

The fines totaled about 570,000 yuan (89,262 U.S. dollars), said Wang Benjin, deputy head of Beijing health inspection institute.

The ban, which has been in effect since June 1, prohibits smoking in all public indoor places, workplaces and on public transport in Beijing.

Individuals caught smoking may be fined up to 200 yuan, while businesses may have to pay up to 10,000 yuan if they fail to discourage smoking on their premises.

Inspections show that schools, hotels and hospitals were the most strict when carrying out the ban, while restaurants have been the worst in enforcing the law, according to Wang.

An anti-smoking hotline received 9,291 complaints, with government buildings and officials' offices the focus of public attention, Wang said. A total of 429 government organizations have received complaints so far.

Zhang Jianshu, head of Beijing Tobacco Control Association, said almost all law enforcement personnel in Beijing were mobilized to carry out the smoking ban during the first three months after it took effect.

However, local residents are expected to take up more responsibility in the long run. "More than 10,000 volunteers have joined the force. They carry out secret inspections, dissuade smokers and report problematic organizations to health inspection departments," said Zhang.

Gao Xiaojun, an official with Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, said the city currently has over 4 million smokers, and another 10 million people are exposed to second-hand smoking.