China to introduce a national ban on smoking in public places

Almaty. November 24. Silkroadnews – The documents regulating a national ban on smoking in public places at the legislative level are expected to be issued in China as early as this year, Chinese media reported.

Thus, speaking at the Ninth Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai Mao Qun’an, representative of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, said, at present such documents have been developed in almost 20 cities in China. Though to solve the problem fundamentally the general public should be made aware of the dangers of smoking. This situation requires smokers to act consciously and non-smokers to protect their rights with reference to the current legal framework, he said.

Earlier, the Shanghai authorities approved amendments to the document regulating the ban on smoking in public places, and starting from March 1, 2017, smoking at the workplaces, other public spaces and on public transport will be prohibited in Shanghai.

The Ninth Global Conference on Health Promotion is carried out in Shanghai from November 21-24. The Shanghai declaration calling on the authorities of all countries to include health promotion in the sustainable development agenda has been published on the very first day of the conference.