In a major step, China declared the site of the Beijing Olympics a smoke-free zone. The ban was announced by the country officials on May 31, to mark World No Smoking Day.
The smoking ban would have not caused any fury elsewhere but with China it’s a different case. With 350 million smokers, the ban would be a controversial public debate. The World Health Organization estimates that a million people in China die every year due to smoke-related illnesses. China is also home to one-third population of the world smokers.
Zhang Jianshu the city spokesman said:
It will be applied in all Olympic venues and restaurants.
People’s reaction, against the issue of smoking were seen at the stadium construction site for next year’s games when at one place security guards tried to stop construction workers who were taking a cigarette break in a no smoking zone lead to a drunken brawl injuring several workers. On the other side the tobacco industry has also raised voice against the ban.
Zhang Baozhen, an industry official and a member of the National People’s Congress, the parliament said:
The ban could cause social instability- the Chinese leadership’s greatest fear.
Source:telegraph