China Ups the Ante on Smoking Bans, This Time with Nationwide Edict

Michael Wester | Jan 9, 2014 3:00 pm | 11 comments | 2643 reads

From the "We'll Believe it When We See It" department comes news that China is once again attempting to put a nationwide ban on smoking in public areas in place by the end of this year.

Cigarettes have long served as a fundamental part of getting things done through the use of "cigarette diplomacy" and sharing smokes is still a revered part of dinner parties and even weddings. Change to such an established tradition will be difficult despite being a bold (but in our opinion, necessary) step.

While cynics will point that enforcement is spotty, there's no doubt that progress has been made in this department over the past few years. In Beijing, several attempts at putting the kibosh on smoking in restaurants have taken root, and even some Beijing bars got into the no-smoking action last year. The Forbidden City became smoke-free as of last spring, and later in the year the ban was extended to all government facilities.

One can only hope that the ban can change the generally casual nature of smoking that's in place here -- a habit that in no doubt contributes to cancer being Beijing's top killer every year. And for those of you 'smoke 'em if you got 'em" folks who think there's no point in kicking the habit in a city with such bad air, remember that even at its worst, Beijing's air contains only a fraction of the carcinogenic content of even just one butt.

Alas, not all is rosy in the world of actually obeying no-smoking edicts. Despite regulations that forbid civil servants from smoking in the workplace, a recent poll shows that 76% of respondents have witnessed violations of the smoking ban.

Nonetheless, the poll reflects a positive outlook. Three-quarters of respondents say they are optimistic towards these policies eventually taking root. Smoking certainly no longer necessarily has ensconced supporter in the seats of power: according to this article from Quartz, "none of the current members of the Central Politburo Standing Committee, the all-powerful seven-man group that runs the country, are smokers."

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britomart's picture britomart Submitted by Guest on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 15:05

@ Number Six, purely out of curiosity, do you smoke the local stuff, or get imported ones? I've noticed a HUGE difference in secondhand smoke between the local stuff and the stuff abroad. I think the local manufacturers put even worse stuff in the cigarettes than those in Western countries.

Before I came here, I used to find myself choking on any secondhand smoke, but now after years of smelling the local crap, whenever I smell smoke from non-local cigarettes, I find it ALMOST pleasant (for about 10 seconds, after which I then find a convenient exit, if possible, since have had too many family members succumb to cancer; I suppose I'm already a ticking time bomb, what with 14 years of China's pollution, but if there's an additional source I CAN avoid, then I do).

Doubt wisely; in strange way / To stand inquiring right is not to stray; / To sleep, or run wrong, is. (Donne, Satire III)

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 12:39

City government officials are having annual meetings these days in Beijing, smoking completely banned

I love to be cynical about government initiatives but you gotta admit, if these guys can kick the habit, so can you

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

bluefish's picture bluefish Submitted by Guest on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 10:56

zax2000 wrote:

The no smoking trend is definitely spreading. more and more places are going smoke free, but even the owners who want to do it can be hesitatant. They need some support.

Agreed, however a lot of the time the problem is that everyday enforcement is left to some poor peon of a waiter/waitress who has no clout, no guanxi and if he/she angers the customer could have his/her life completely ruined in retaliation. Expecting someone like that to tell some entitled fool to stop smoking (often directly under the no smoking sign) is unrealistic. I've seen waitresses try just that, only to have their head taken off and their job taken away.

Education might do something–if people really begin to understand just what their smoking does to them personally. However it doesn't work explaining what it does to other people as very few people here care in the slightest how their actions might affect a stranger. (Though of course they do care for those important to them in some way.) Laws also don't work very well, for the reason given in the previous paragraph. The country is rife with entitled fools who don't think any laws or regulations apply to them. In fact, they view a regulation or law as an excellent chance for them to showcase their power or position by flaunting it. That's what power gives you here: the right to ignore the rules. Obeying the rules is largely seen as giving up one of the perks of your position. You'd never do that.

IMHO it's the fact that this ban has highlighted the health dangers that's leading to slightly less smoking: not the ban itself.

My favorite illustration for this took place one night when I picked someone up from the South Railway Station after midnight. All the buses and subway had stopped running, so all 500 people in the station were in line for a taxi. We waited in line well over an hour, as taxis were only showing up sporadically. Enormous barriers forced everyone to stay in line, and along the walls were giant posted no-smoking signs. Two morons behind me were smoking anyway, in a confined area where everyone else was forced to breath the toxins they were blowing in our faces, and one of them looked over at the signs and the following conversation ensued:

No smoking?

Yeah. You aren't allowed to smoke in public places anymore.

*puff puff puff

Number Six's picture Number Six Submitted by Guest on Sat, 01/11/2014 - 23:40

i really hope bans like this don't gain traction here. if it's a huge concern, why not wear your mask inside? come on... you didn't come to china for the clean air, and you didn't go to a bar to make healthy choices, enjoy it! as a disclaimer, i'm only an occasional smoker, when i'm not smoking i still enjoy the smell, and watching the plumes of smoke billow and curl in the still indoor air; there's nothing so nice as a smoky bar... aside from that, as a practical consideration they should wait for the warmer weather to try a ban like this, it's far too cold for smokers to hit the street for each cigarette. i'm well acquainted with cancer, but i'd rather live as i please while i'm here. For freedom!

mtnerror's picture mtnerror Submitted by Guest on Fri, 01/10/2014 - 11:14

Re: "because there are too many Chinese people that don't give a crap about anyone else and they will do whatever they want" -- that pretty much typifies the human race, does it not? Why narrowily pinpoint your claim for only one group of people on this planet?

Policies are strictly ideals and marketing fodder unless they're enforced. There will always be those who understand the dangers of driving too fast and there will be those who ignore the greater good for their desire to get home 3 mins sooner, but typically the latter is only impacted by means of enforcement such as traffic radar and patrols. The same would be for smoking. People do it for their own desires and unless they really buy into the very claims non-smokers have bought into, you're only going to see an eradication of such with sustained enforcement.

RadioDJ38's picture RadioDJ38 Submitted by Guest on Thu, 01/09/2014 - 19:59

Oh give me a break! There can be a million non-smoking "policies" in this country, but it will never do any good, because there are too many Chinese people that don't give a crap about anyone else and they will do whatever they want. And....if the person caught smoking in a public place is rich or powerful, nothing will be done about it.

Heck...just today while walking here in the subway transferring to another line, I saw some guy just nonchalantly light up a cigarette and was smoking away, totally oblivious to the many people around him.

I am not sure what it is like for all the other foreigners back in their home countries, but back in my hometown there is no smoking allowed in ANY public building, and YES....that includes no smoking in the bars. You never see anyone ever just lighting up anyway. That is because we have more consideration for others than the Chinese people do.

Come on Chinese people! You seriously can't wait and go a couple minutes without smoking?! Wait until you get outside!

By the way....I AM A SMOKER!

zax2000's picture zax2000 Submitted by Guest on Thu, 01/09/2014 - 17:39

The no smoking trend is definitely spreading. more and more places are going smoke free, but even the owners who want to do it can be hesitatant. They need some support.

Maybe The Beijinger could start to prominently feature a bar/restaurant's non-smoking status. You do have it on each place's listing page, but maybe feature it on the top with a green (smoke-free), yellow (partitioned non-smoking section) or red (smoking) color. Maybe also include an indexing option on your main directory page that will automatically jump you to a listing of ONLY smoke-free places.

I took a walk around Sanlitun and was able to cobble together a cursory, yet pretty impressive list of dining and drinking optons that are smoke free. (https://foursquare.com/zax2000/list/nonsmoking-beijing) It's really come to the point where I don't have to settle for places that will make my clothes smell like an ashtray when I go out at night.

Give the folks who are taking the leap into non-smoking status a little juice and you'll see things spread even faster, I think.

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Thu, 01/09/2014 - 17:11

troublemaninbeijing wrote:
While cynics will point that enforcement is spotty, there's no dobut that progress has been made in this department over the past few years.

thanks for catching that typo

fixed now

oh the joys of electronic publishing

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

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