Smoking ban in China: will local smokers pay attention at all?

Smoking Ban in China Implemented

An indoor smoking ban in China started to be enforced last Sunday as part of a goal by authorities to stem the growing tobacco use epidemic across this booming Asian country.

The smoking ban only covers indoor public spaces including hotels, bars and restaurants. Implementing guidelines were issued in March by the Chinese Health Ministry which set the effectivity of the order on the first day of May.

Government data shows 300 million or 30 percent of the country's population smoke while an estimated 1 million people in the country die every year from smoking-related conditions.

But the smoking ban, which is not enforced in workplaces, is likely to be ignored by many smokers because of the lack of sanctions for violators. A reason for the laxity of any smoking ban in China is because the local tobacco industry is such a big money-earner for the government.

"I also acknowledge that there are imperfections in the Health Ministry's current guidelines, and that preparations for carrying it out have also been insufficient," Dr. Yang Gonghuan of the National Office of Tobacco Control told AP.

The smoking ban is among an expanded slew of measures including pest control and air quality being implemented by the government.

Cultural factors may also hinder the success of a smoking ban in China. Smoking are commonly seen even in hospitals and sometimes during domestic flights even though rules against smoking in these places have long been in place.

No smoking signs will need to be put up by owners of public establishments as part of the rules of the expanded smoking ban.

Posted by George Daniels on Monday May 02 2011, 5:36 AM EST. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0