Smoking ban in China extends to silver screen and television

Smoking ban in China extends to silver screen and television

A smoking ban in outdoor public places in China have now been extended to characters on-screen. Chinese authorities are imposing stricter rules on smoking as depicted in television shows and movies to clamp down on the habit.

Producers, studios and film makers are getting the notice from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to limit smoking and tobacco use to scenes essential for character development or artistic expression.

Under the new rules, film and TV characters who are younger than 18 should not smoke or buy tobacco products. Adult characters are prohibited to smoke in public spaces as well.

The regulatory office are urging producers to go beyond the mandatory restrictions and instead self-impose a total smoking ban on their shows. Ditching smoking scenes altogether is consistent with government efforts to curb tobacco use, officials said.

Local productions are the target of the new rules and foreign films including those from Hollywood are not covered. U.S. films are subject to release limits here but have nevertheless enjoyed financial success in China.

The decision is the latest in a pattern for China that is steadily clamping down on tobacco and cigarette advertising. Health officials here are seeing the impact of smoking to public health in the world's most populous nation, where 300 million or roughly 30 percent of the adult population light up. One million Chinese die every year from tobacco-related conditions.

Despite new rules, China has yet to enact national legislation that increases cigarette prices or place a smoking ban on indoor public spaces.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday February 16 2011, 3:56 AM EDT. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0