Indoor smoking will be banned in Beijing starting next year as the city adopted an anti-smoking bill on Friday. Beijing vows to completely ban smoking in all of the city's indoor public areas, public transport mobiles and workplaces.
The draft of the anti-smoking regulation passed through voting at the meeting of the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress and is slated to be implemented on the first day of June 2015.
Under the anti-smoking bill, the activity will also be banned in open-air areas in schools, kindergartens, fitness and sports venues, child welfare institutions, women and children's hospitals, and cultural relic and heritage protection sites that are open to public access.
Additionally, the regulation will prohibit tobacco and smoking advertisements to be shown in media including TV, radio, newspapers, movies, Internet, and even books. The smoking and tobacco advertisements are also banned from being shown outdoors, in public areas and public transport vehicles. All and any form of tobacco title sponsorship and promotion will also be prohibited.
Even teachers and educational instructors are prohibited from smoking in front of their students and pupils in both primary and secondary schools. Schools are also obligated to educate and inform the students about the harmful effects of smoking and to help student smokers quit.
The anti-smoking bill also bans cigarette sales to minors via online transactions and vending machines.