Smokers shanghaied

The two airports serving Shanghai, China, will ban smoking inside terminal buildings from Sunday, when all indoor smoking rooms are set to be closed, according to a story in the Shanghai Daily citing a statement by the airport authority.

But the authority has set up new smoking areas outside the terminal buildings at the Pudong and Hongqiao international airports.

Two outdoor smoking areas have been set up at Pudong airport’s T1 terminal, and three have been set up at the airport’s T2 terminal. Hongqiao airport has two outdoor smoking areas at each of its two terminal buildings.

The outdoor smoking areas are said to be located at the ‘remote bays waiting areas’ for domestic and international flights at both airports.

The new ban was in accord with the recommendations of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control as well as with the city’s new smoking control regulation, an official with the airport authority was quoted as saying.

Shanghai’s railway stations have also shut down all indoor smoking rooms.

Meanwhile, the city’s legislative body is evaluating stricter rules that would extend smoking bans to all indoor public venues, including hotels, restaurants, offices and transport facilities. The new rules have to be further evaluated and revised but are expected to come into force by the end of this year.