Experts urge ban on ads for tobacco

That is not enough, said Xu Zhengzhong, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance. Despite the improvements to the law in the revised version, the ban still doesn't cover such things as tobacco advertisements at cigarette shops, large open-air billboards, brand-extension activities or tobacco industry sponsorship, he said.

"To deter would-be violators, more severe punishments like huge fines should be considered," he said.

Jiang Yuan, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Tobacco Control Office, agreed. The influence of advertising on the young is powerful, she said.

"It can indeed attract new smokers and increase tobacco consumption," she said, referring to a survey showing that about 34 percent of Chinese youths who smoke were "inspired" by advertisements.

Huang Jiefu, head of the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control, urged all stakeholders to take more forceful measures to curb tobacco advertising in accordance with WHO guidelines, known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. China ratified the framework in 2005, and the treaty came into force in the country in 2006.

But China lags in fulfilling its obligations, Huang said. The signatory parties have an obligation to "undertake a comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship" within five years of the treaty coming into force.

The framework calls for a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco marketing - including direct advertising, promotion and sponsorship. It identifies all of these as strategies used by tobacco companies to increase demand for their products.