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Tobacco smoking ban and its effect in Beijing

Published on July 10, 2008 10:22 AM

Beijing was affected by smoking ban too. Smoking was banned inside all hotels except for in "well-ventilated and clearly indicated smoking rooms." The Beijing government wrote to over 30,000 restaurants in Beijing asking them to ban smoking. None of them took up the offer.

The Beijing government decided to install well-ventilated indoor smoking areas in restaurants, bars or smoking rooms in hotels. At least 70% of rooms in hotels are smoke-free.

Most people from China flouted the smoking ban, that’s why the smell of tobacco is difficult to escape in the country’s capital.

The new smoking ban affected 4 million smokers in Beijing. More than 320 million of China’s 1.3 billion people are smokers (66.9% of all men and 4.2% of all women).

Smoking was banned not only in hotels but also in schools, libraries, cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, stores, banks, post offices and on public transport. Based on the new law, smoking will be banned in offices, meeting places, cafeterias, bathrooms, hallways, and elevators in Beijing authorities, organizations, enterprises and institutions.

Smoking ban in Beijing is not good for business, because have increased the empty tables at first no-smoking restaurants and the numbers of customers have decreased.

"We figure that, if we're going to die, at least we're going to die honorably," said Guo Xiaodong, the deputy director of the restaurant chain. "We are happy to be the first Chinese restaurant in Beijing to ban smoking, but we may not be able to afford the drop in customers," he added. "At least we'll be remembered for championing the cause."

Yet Meizhou, the director of a Chinesse restaurant in Beijing, said ″Instead of ashtrays, noisy banter and clouds of thick smoke, we have now clean air, empty tables and eerie strange silence.″