China’s capital seeks to snuff out smoking in indoor public places on Monday with a new ban, unprecedented fines and a hotline to report offenders, but enforcement is doubtful in one of the world’s most tobacco-addicted countries.
Seen as the toughest anti-smoking legislation in China’s history, the law makes smoking in Beijing locations such as offices, restaurants, hotels and hospitals punishable by fines.
Businesses that fail to rein in smoking on their premises can be fined up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,600) and repeat offenders could have their licences revoked.
Individual smokers themselves can be penalized 200 yuan.
As well as indoor smoking, the law prohibits lighting up in some open-air spaces close to schools, hospitals, and sports venues. Tobacco advertisements are not allowed to appear outdoors.
However, experts and locals question whether enforcement will be effective.
Health commission inspectors will be in charge, carrying out spot-checks and acting on tip-offs from the public — posters in the capital advertise a hotline number, and the city government has launched a social media account allowing observers to upload images of smokers caught in the act.
It has also announced a poll for a hand gesture aimed at encouraging people not to smoke, with options of a “time-out” T shape using two fingers to a palm, a forward-facing “stop” palm, and a flat hand pressed up to the nose of the person signaling.
However, the law — limited to the capital — is not China’s first such effort.
A similar nationwide measure was passed in 2011, albeit without financial sanctions, but implementation was lacklustre at best.
Experts and locals said enforcement would be an uphill battle in China, where the WHO estimates nearly 53 percent of men smoke, one of the highest rates in the world.
Environmental and safety laws in China are often openly flouted because of limited official oversight, or corruption in the form of bribes to law enforcers.
Cigarettes remain cheap, with packs often costing less than 10 yuan, and Chinese experts were also cautious.
One barrier to imposing similar measures across the country is the continued clout of China’s state-run tobacco industry, which provides the government with colossal amounts of money: 911 billion yuan in taxes and profits last year, an increase of 12 percent year-on-year.
China’s tobacco regulator shares offices and senior officials with the state-owned China National Tobacco Corp — a near-monopoly and by far the world’s biggest cigarette producer.
Angela Pratt, technical officer of WHO China’s Tobacco Free Initiative, said the resulting conflict of interest was acute, telling reporters: “It’s like the health minister turning up to discuss tobacco legislation, and the meeting is chaired by Philip Morris.”
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