Tighter tobacco controls

Restrictions on tobacco smoking in enclosed public places in Shanghai, China, are due to be converted into an outright ban, according to a Global Times story citing an eastday.com report.

And, at the same time, restrictions will be included in some outdoor public places.

The new bans and restrictions are scheduled to come into force in March

District health promotion committees were said to have started a two-week campaign on Wednesday aimed at increasing public awareness about the latest regulations.

Officers were said to be organizing theme activities in designated areas.

Citizens are being invited to stop anyone they see smoking in indoor venues and to call a hotline to report them.

Shanghai’s smoking control department will also carry out large-scale crackdowns on indoor smoking.

Smoking-control regulations went into effect seven years ago, but they allowed smoking in designated indoor areas, including those in hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, airports and port stations.

The latest controls will prohibit smoking in certain public outdoor areas, including after-school education centers and children’s hospitals.