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China is stepping up efforts to ban smoking in public places by ordering Communist Party officials to “lead by example” and refrain from smoking in government offices, schools, hospitals, sports and cultural venues and on public transport. Party officials have also been ordered to ask others not to smoke in public.

The new directive forbids government offices from spending public funds on tobacco and bars tobacco companies from sponsoring government or Communist Party events.

“In recent years, thanks to joint efforts, the ban on smoking in public venues has made progress. However, we see that smoking in public is still common,” read the official document issued Sunday by the Communist Party Central Committee and the State Council, China’s cabinet. “Smoking by some party officials not only endangers public health, but also damages the image of the party and the government.”



The party urged its members to quit smoking and to convince others to quit while it aimed to build “a good societal atmosphere of banning and controlling smoking.” Officials who violate this ban are to be subject to “criticism, education, party discipline or even the law, in especially serious cases.”

The ban was read by solemn news anchors multiple times on national television Sunday.

China first attempted to ban smoking in some public venues in 1993. Signs prohibiting smoking are a common sight in restaurants, tea houses and shopping malls. However, they are mostly viewed as a suggestion. With no penalty in place, the prohibition is often ignored.

Smokers still light up in more than 70 percent of restaurants in China, the state-run People’s Daily newspaper reported in August. An average of 740 million Chinese are exposed to second-hand smoke daily, according to the same survey.

Some have questioned whether the latest smoking rules will be any more effective. “A high-level official can easily tell a subordinate to put out his cigarette, but what about the other way around?” wrote Bi Hanfeng, a commentator for Xinhua, the state-run news agency.

The state media also praised the new directive as an important step toward reducing corruption.

“Many have the experience of bribing officials with cigarettes to get things done. Many low-level party members have the experience of keeping officials company when they smoke. A clean government starts with an air-fresh government office,” said Xinhua on its official Sina Weibo microblog.

“This is a chance to discipline the whole party and rebuild the party’s credibility!” said the Henan Daily.