Banning smoking still a problem
Print Edition
Ni took out a cigarette and lighter in a restaurant, ignoring angry looks from neighboring tables. The waiters pretended not to look.
“What? Smoking is my freedom!” Ni said when volunteers stepped in to stop him. Ni is one of many city residents who don’t realize they are breaking the law.
Currently there are 133 volunteers trying to ensure people obey smoking rules and they often see similar things happen. Smoking restrictions in public areas in Shanghai have been put into place for five years but are still facing difficulties.
Many smokers don’t realize it’s not just their health that they are harming when they smoke in public areas.
There are nearly 70 types of carcinogen emanating from burning cigarettes and second-hand smoke can cause harmful pollution to surge indoors.
Staying in a room where there is a smoker is almost equal to smoking a medium tar cigarette, according to deputy director of Jiading Patriotic Sanitation Office Gong Yueliang.
Some smokers don’t know it’s the regulations that smoking is forbidden in certain outdoor areas including child health care centers, and in kindergartens, primary schools and high schools.
Gong and volunteers often hear smokers say: “I understand all the rules and regulations, but I can’t stop smoking.”
An employee at a property management company said he would often light up a cigarette and put it inside the drawer of his desk. Then, whenever there was nobody around, he would take a puff.
However, the cigarette once burned all the documents in the drawer.
Apart from 133 volunteers and regular or irregular checks at public venues, authorities have also strengthened supervision and punishment.
Last year, nine venues and 33 individuals were fined a total of 20,790 yuan (US$3,408).
Smoking is still widely seen in Internet bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, bus stops and hotels, according to Gong. Jiading plans to strengthen smoking controls and ban smoking completely at more venues in the district.
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