New Regulations on the Smoking Ban at Public Venues in Beijing will be enforced on 1, May, 2008 in Beijing. On 24, April, Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee, Health Bureau of Beijing Municipality, Legislative Affairs Office of Beijing Municipality held the press conference on the issue and implementation of the new rules in the Beijing Olympic News Center. On the conference, the deputy director of the Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee Sun Xianli, the deputy director of Legislative Affairs Office of Beijing Municipality Li Lingyan introduced the major contents and its implementation of the new regulations. They also answered questions like “Smoking Prohibition Scope”, “How to Supervise the Implementation” from both Chinese and foreign journalists. Over 100 journalists from foreign countries, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other local press attended the conference.

Based on the Rules on Smoking Prohibition in Public Venues in Beijing, which was approved by the 23rd Standing Committee of the 10th People’s Congress of Beijing, the new regulations signaled another big step toward tobacco control in public venues and a move to meet the requirements of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) by the World Health Organization. The new regulations include eleven items, which clearly defined the non-smoking public venues and partly prohibited areas such as hotels, restaurants, training centers etc. In addition, the new regulations enhance the responsibility of the executive departments and the media. Moreover, in order to assure the implementation, the new regulations will also strengthen the executive power of the smoking prohibition. Local health offices have the rights to punish smokers breaking the new regulations.

Tobacco harm is one of the most serious public health issues in modern world. To ban smoking in public venues is China’s obligation to meet the requirements of FCTC. In August, 2005, the 17th Session of the 10th NPC approved the FCTC, which took effect on 9th, Jan, 2006 and will be fully implemented on 9th, Jan, 2011 in China. It means that China has to completely ban smoking in indoor areas, public means of transportation, and indoor public venues within three years.

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will be the first Olympics held after the FCTC took effect on 27th, Feb, 2005. Therefore, Chinese government pledged to hold a “smoking-free Olympics”. “smoking-free Olympics” not only refuse the tobacco advertisements and patronage from tobacco companies, but also ban smoking in all competition venues. In order to hold a high quality Olympics with Chinese characteristics and show the concepts of Green Olympics, Hi-tech Olympics, People's Olympics, it is necessary for Beijing to expand the scope of non-smoking, which will establish substantial foundation for the “smoking-free Olympics”, and smoking-free environment in public venues.

After the promulgation, the primary task is to publicize the new rules. Then the government should enhance the supervision and management. Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee has trained more than 1,000 smoking control inspectors on the provisions in the New Regulations and penalties procedures. They will go down streets, towns and villages to inspect the implementation of the New Regulations. In addition, each unit should have its own smoking control inspector who is responsible for smoking control in the unit, for example, the inspector should check that if non-smoking signs are placed in non-smoking areas and if smoking sections are set. At present, there are more than 100,000 smoking control inspectors on duty at enterprises and public institutions in Beijing. Departments of public health of all districts and counties are commissioned to supervise the areas where are within their duties and to increase the whole supervision and law enforcement dynamics. Any unit that does not conform to the regulations should be warned to make corrections within a limited period of time and be punished. The fines for units can reach 1,000 to 5,000 RMB and for individuals 10 RMB.
 
Last but not least, the New Regulations can’t be carried out without understanding and support from the citizens. Taking this opportunity, we call for an active participation in the smoking control campaign. Firstly, people who formerly smoke should smoke as less as possible or even quit smoking; secondly, each citizen has the right to stop any activity that is against the New Regulations. Driven by the promise of a smoke-free Olympic Games, we believe that, with every citizen’s effort, a cleaner and fresher environment will be finally created.