China Daily Global Edition (USA)
City bans smoking in offices of Party, govt
Indoor smoking has been banned in government offices and the offices of the Communist Party of China in Wuhan, Hubei province, and is also prohibited for those performing official duties, under a directive issued on Sunday.
The directive, issued by government and Party officials, signals the start of a campaign that will run until Dec 31, focusing on Party and government offices, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, public transport, theaters and internet cafes.
Officials should abide by the smoking ban, actively advocate tobacco control and set an example by not smoking in public places, the directive said.
It ordered Party and government organs to establish smoking control regulations and come up with detailed measures to carry them out, including anti-smoking logos in conference rooms, corridors, cafeterias and washrooms. They should also name tobacco-control supervisors to discourage officials from smoking indoors, and set up clearly identified outdoor smoking areas.
An official surnamed Ming, who joined the Organization Department of the CPC in Wuhan in March, said: “During my couple of months working here, I barely saw any of my colleagues smoking in the workplace. It seems everyone working in government and Party organs is used to not smoking.”
A 50-year-old official who works at the local TV station and identified himself as He, said that he was not a fan of tobacco and was often irritated by some of his workmates’ smoking habits. But he tolerated it, he said, because there were no regulations effective enough to protect people from the harm of secondhand smoke.
“I’m more than thrilled to hear about the ban on indoor smoking. And the station is now in discussions to make further arrangements,” He said.
Organizers of official activities are barred from providing tobacco products, accepting sponsorships from tobacco companies or publishing tobacco advertisements, and ashtrays and lighters should not be provided, the directive said.
Those taking part in official activities are not allowed to smoke, give cigarettes to others or persuade others to smoke. The use of public funds to pay for tobacco consumption is strictly forbidden, it said.
Yang Jie, a tobacco control researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “Smoking is addictive. Regulations, law enforcement and health education are important in the bid to attain a clean, smoke-free environment.
“The examples that local government and Party officials set will have a positive influence on cultivating an antismoking atmosphere and enhancing public awareness. As such, it will boost legislation to totally ban smoking in all indoor public places.”
The local health and family planning commission should bear the responsibility to receive and investigate complaints from the public and announce punishments in a timely manner, the directive said.
Li Junlin, director of the Wuhan Health Exchange, said: “The tobacco control campaign involves more than 100,000 public places in the city and more than 2 million smokers. It is obvious that anti-smoking law enforcement by the health and family planning department is not strong enough. It’s a real challenge.”