Wuhan to ban smoking in all indoor public areas

Wuhan will ban smoking in all indoor public areas and those who smoke indoors -- in public places, work areas or public vehicles -- should pay a maximum penalty of 500 yuan, chinanews.com reported.

A new regulation passed Tuesday by the Wuhan people's congress standing committee released a series of measures to step up tobacco control.

The regulation also extends the tobacco control areas to more outdoor public areas. Targeted outdoor public places include the outdoor portions of educational, teaching and medical institutions where adolescents or pregnant women are the main service groups; open-air auditoriums of stadiums for viewing performances or competition, fitness or sports venues; and outdoor areas of cultural relic exhibitions open to the public.

Individuals should not smoke in queues or crowded areas, and those who smoke in permitted places should keep away from nonsmokers.

The new regulation clarified that, in nonsmoking places, anyone has the right to stop smoking behavior, to require managers of such places to control smoking, and to complain and report if the manager fails to fulfill the obligation.

According to the new regulations, tobacco products should not be sold to adolescents.

If the seller cannot determine whether the buyer is an adult or not, he or she should require the buyer to show valid identification. If the buyer cannot show valid identification, the tobacco products cannot be sold to the person.

In order to ensure implementation of the regulation, the penalty standards have also been increased: those who smoke in nonsmoking areas will receive a penalty of 50 yuan and those refusing to make any corrections will receive a penalty ranging from 200 to 500 yuan.