May 29th, 2011:

05/29/2011, Beijing Morning Post, 36 media hits —

By the end of this year, smoking will have been banned in all [Beijing] schools at all levels, achieving the standard of no one smoking, no cigarette odor and no cigarette butts in all areas both indoor and outdoor. Schools that refuse to rectify will be fined CNY 1,000-5,000. May 31 is the 24th World No Tobacco Day. Yesterday, the Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee, Board of Education and Bureau of Health co-organized an event to kick off the smoke-free campus campaign. According to Bureau of Health Director Fang Laiying, the focus of tobacco control this year is educational facilities. Smoking is to be prohibited in all areas used for instruction at all places of learning. The “Smoke-Free School” standard must be achieved before the end of the year. Schools that do not comply will be fined CNY 1,000-5,000. Smoking, the sale of tobacco products, and tobacco advertising (or disguised tobacco advertising) shall be prohibited in all areas used for instruction at all childcare centers, primary schools, secondary schools, vocational high schools and institutes of higher learning, as well as all other educational or training facilities. To achieve the smoke-free standard there must be no one smoking, no cigarette odor and no cigarette butts in all areas both indoor and outdoor. Institutes of higher learning shall also prohibit smoking both indoors and outdoors at student living areas such as dormitories and cafeterias.

05/29/2011, Legal Evening News [Beijing], 15 media hits —

The day after tomorrow is the WHO’s 24th World No Tobacco Day. The Ministry of Health’s newly revised “Implementation Guidelines for Public Venue Health Management Procedures” stipulates that as of May 1, smoking is prohibited at all indoor public venues. The Implementation Guidelines have been in effect for nearly a month now; how are they being instituted across China? From figures provided in other media reports, a Legal Evening News journalist calculated a total of 18 local governments having taken action so far Regarding the parameters of the smoking ban, Harbin’s are the most comprehensive. In the area of penalization, Hainan Province has introduced the most stringent measures. Individuals found smoking in violation of the ban who then ignore remonstrations will be given a rectification order and a CNY 500-1,000 fine – currently the highest in China for an individual violation. Shanghai, Hubei Province and Hainan Province have all written into law that the average citizen is also entitled to tell smokers to put out their cigarette.