Apology after health inspectors barred
Print Edition
The China National Tobacco Corporation has apologized after health inspectors were barred from a conference center run by a subsidiary that broke the rules on tobacco advertising.
“The corporation promised to accept punishment and enhance tobacco control,” Wang Benjin, vice director of the Beijing health supervision agency told news portal thepaper.cn.
A surprise inspection on July 14 at the Jinyeyuan Conference Center in the capital’s Pinggu District found cigarette adverts on tissue boxes and bottled water.
The center was ordered to remove the offending items, Wang told Beijing TV.
But when inspectors visited the center again on July 23, the ads were still in evidence. Again the center was urged to take action.
However, on a third visit inspectors were stopped at the gate and prevented from entering. The police were called but after two hours of confrontation, the inspectors left.
Wang said it was the first time law enforcement officers in the capital had been prevented from carrying out their duties since a ban on tobacco advertising took effect in June.
Yesterday, following an official letter of complaint, officials from the tobacco corporation met their counterparts at the health supervision agency to apologize.
Wang stressed that the corporation and its subordinate companies should not be exempt from the ban that forbids tobacco ads in all indoor public venues, including office buildings.
Wang said agency officials had carried out more than 20,000 inspections around Beijing and found violations at 2,903 enterprises since the ban came into effect. A total of 74 organizations and 179 people had been punished.
There are around 1,100 law enforcement officers engaged in smoking control in Beijing and the city’s tobacco control association has recruited an additional 600 volunteers to help enforce the regulations.
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