CRI听力:Beijing Braces for Toughest Anti-smoking Measures Yet

Under the ban, smokers are virtually prohibited from smoking as long as they are indoors.

Smoking is forbidden in all indoor public areas and workplaces along with some select outdoor areas, including areas around schools.

According to the new regulations, violators will face fines of up to 200 yuan, or some 32 U.S. dollars.

That is a twenty-fold increase from the current 10 yuan penalty.

Head of the Beijing Association on Tobacco Control Zhang Jianshu says that the penalty hike not only puts pressure on individual violators, but also highlights the possible punishment for those companies and organizations that violate the new rules.

" Every company is obligated to hang up anti-smoking signs in the most obvious place, including the standard sign with anti-smoking verbiage in both Chinese and English, the tip-off hotline number, and the QR code of Beijing anti-smoking Wechat platform. If there is anyone who smokes under your watch and you didn't dissuade or prohibit him, then the company should take the fall, and we will impose a fine ranging 5 thousand to 10 thousand yuan."

In line with the new regulations, measures have been rolled out in schools, airports, metro and bus stations, restaurants and scenic spots, all in an attempt to curb smoking.

As for transport, the Beijing capital international airport announced Tuesday that all smoking rooms will be closed and be replaced with 11 outdoor smoking areas on June 1.

Smoking is also banned in all metro facilities, including cabins and stations.

In restaurants and scenic spots, health inspectors are expected to enforce the rules.

Deputy of the Beijing Association on Tobacco Control Yang Gonghuan expressed her concerns over authorities' ability to enforce the restrictions.

"There could be some difficulties to fully enforce the rules. Many cities have the example of collaborate and coordinate among different law enforcement bodies. No matter who takes the lead, a corporate network must be founded. So I think it will be a process of breaking in, one cannot assume the cooperation will just naturally come into being. So I think there will be a challenge for Beijing Health and Family Planning Department."

Currently, there are more than 300 million people in China smoke, the largest population of smokers in the world.

Health authorities estimate that some 1.5 million people in China die from smoking-related diseases every year, while 100 thousand die from second hand-smoke related diseases.

For CRI, I'm Min Rui.