Smoking ban enforced

HANGZHOU AUTHORITIES have fined more than 900 establishments a total of 712,600 yuan for violating the city’s anti-smoking regulations since March 2010. These included Internet cafes, restaurants, entertainment venues and hotels.

Officials inspected more than 170,000 public venues in the past seven years, issued warnings to 1,368 organizations and ordered 10,571 others to take measures to ban smoking.

Most hospitals, schools, star-rated hotels, restaurants and department stores in Hangzhou have succeeded in banning smoking, the Hangzhou Health Bureau said.

On March 1, Shanghai imposed a sweeping ban on smoking in public buildings. Offenders will be fined up to 200 yuan and venue owners can be fined up to 30,000 yuan.

Beijing enforced a public area smok­ing ban nearly two years ago.

China has around 300 million smok­ers and 740 million people exposed to second-hand smoke. Tobacco control legislation faced strong resistance in the past. Only recently has it gained public support thanks to education and awareness campaign.