Throwback Thursday: Beijing Bans Smoking (Once Again)

As the Beijinger moves through its 15th year covering Beijing, it's time again for Throwback Thursday. In this edition, it's April 2008 and Beijing is ramping up for the Olympics, and in its haste once again announces it will attempt to ban smoking. Former Beijinger Managing Editor Oliver Robinson brought us this update at the time.

RELATED: Beijing's Second Attempt to Ban Smoking

It was recently announced that from May 1 smoking will be completely banned in medical facilities, nurseries, kindergartens, educational institutions, cinemas, concert venues, museums, libraries, children’s play areas, buses, taxis, trains, train stations, tourist attractions, sports venues and, according to the official press release, all public spaces across the city. Smoking in parks and Internet cafes will be "partly" banned. Restaurateurs and bar owners, meanwhile, are allowed to implement the ban at their own discretion. However, it's unlikely that many venues will choose to do so. Originally, the government had wanted Beijing restaurants and bars to dedicate over 70 percent of floor space to non-smokers. This never came to pass due to complaints that the law would lead to a decline in custom. It's well known that many Chinese enjoy a cigarette at mealtimes – little surprise considering China is home to 24.6 percent of the world's estimated 1.3 billion smokers.

While it may seem that authorities have fallen short of their initial goals, Sun Xianli, deputy chief of the Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee, believes the legislation is still an important step in combating Beijing's addiction to smoking. According to the official press release, measures taken to combat smoking in China – passed in 1995, 2001, 2004 and 2007 – has seen the average smoking rate among Beijingers over 15 years old decline from 34.5 percent in 1995 to 23.0 percent in 2007. This amounts to a one percent decrease per annum, said Sun. According to last year's Report on Smoking Control, over 100,000 people die from the effects of passive smoking in China each year.

Still, the "optional" smoking ban in restaurants and bars is reminiscent of legislation prohibiting corkage fees at Beijing restaurants. Such practice calls into question whether venues, especially bars and restaurants with designated non-smoking areas, will enforce the RMB 10 fine on those found to be smoking where they shouldn't be, or indeed whether venues not enforcing non-smoking will be held accountable, paying a fine of RMB 1,000 to RMB 5,000.

Restaurants and bars aside, it was encouraging to see match attendants at last weekend’s Olympic women’s football qualifier between Brazil and Ghana at the Workers’ Stadium order spectators to extinguish cigarettes. A sign, perhaps, that Beijing 2008 will be partially smoke free.

Links and Sources
The Beijinger Forum: May 1 smoking ban

Photo: Free Malaysia Today