Beijing smokers braced for new era of restrictions

Indoor smoking and tobacco advertisements will be banned in public places in Beijing as part of new tobacco control regulations due to come into force on Monday, according to a story in the China Daily.
The restrictions, which were adopted in November by the Beijing People’s Congress, are among the toughest of their kind in China.
They forbid smoking in all indoor public places, including workplaces, and within some outdoor areas, including schools.
The authorities will be paying particular notice to the implementation of the regulations in schools, airports, metro and bus stations, restaurants and scenic spots.
Tobacco retailing certificates will not be issued to shops within 100 meters of kindergartens, primary and middle schools, and children’s activity centers. Shops in these areas that already have certificates will not able to continue to sell tobacco when their current certificates expire.
Beijing airport announced on Tuesday that all its smoking rooms would be closed and replaced with 11 outdoor smoking areas from June 1. In addition, outdoor smoking areas of 1.5 square meters and marked with yellow lines will be set up in more than 600 bus stations across the city. Smoking will be banned in all metro facilities, including cabins and stations.
Smoking will be banned in scenic areas with ‘key cultural relics’, but outdoor smoking areas will be made available in other scenic areas.
Tobacco advertising will be banned on radio and television, in films, as part of mobile communications and on the Internet. No tobacco advertisements will be allowed in public places, including on public transport and outdoor areas.