Beijing's smoking ban in public spaces implemented on May 1 should be sustainable after the Olympic Games because the city's smokers are being educated about the risks of the habit.

Officials stick no smoking board on May 1, 2008, the first day of the smoking ban in Beijing. [China Daily]

"The reason for my quitting smoking has no relation to the Olympics Games, rather it is because I worry about my health," said Duan Cheng, a chef at a restaurant on Gui Jie, a famous dining street in Beijing.

Duan, 27, has smoked since he was in middle school but became determined to quit a year ago because he realized that it could cause lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

Rao Yingsheng, deputy director of the patriotic hygiene and sports committee of the Beijing health bureau told Xinhua that a policy of persuasion and education was more likely to stop people smoking.

Feng Qian, 37, a smoker for 20 years and a restaurant manager in Xidan, said his restaurant has a non-smoking area out of concern for the health of customers and was not instituted just for the Games.

On the other hand there have been some problems related with the public smoking ban.

"Almost four or five times a month customers cause trouble and even leave once they know there is non-smoking area," one non-smoking Korean barbecue restaurant manager in Chaoyang district said.

"If there is effective enforcement of the smoking ban in all 47,000 restaurants in Beijing there will be no negative impact on the revenues of the restaurants," said Jiang Yuan, deputy director at the National Tobacco Control Office.

Jiang added a ban in smoking in taxis, from Oct 1 last year, has been effective.

Many taxi drivers say the quality of air in the cabs is better now and most tourists appreciate this improvement.

"After the Olympics Games the government is going to strengthen its drive against smoking," Jiang said.

"Now, the tobacco industry should transform its business."

Shao Wenjing, 27, said he thought there had been a big improvement since the smoking bans had been instituted.

"I feel more comfortable and fresh in the working place since my colleagues don't smoke in the office anymore," he said.

Yu Hongxian, a doctor in charge of the respiratory department at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said more people were trying to quit.

"After the implementation of the smoking ban on May 1, the amount of patients coming to the clinic has doubled to 6 or 7 people per hour."