Shenzhen issues first fine for vaping in a public place, 50 yuan

On October 15, news from the official Weibo account of the Health Commission reported that Shenzhen has officially launched a new round of anti-smoking enforcement, marking the first enforcement action following the revision of the "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Smoking Control Regulations." The target of supervision is the bus stops that have been included in the smoking ban for the first time in the new regulations.

According to reports, at the enforcement site, six smokers were fined 50 yuan, including one electronic cigarette smoker, marking the first case of an electronic cigarette smoker being fined in mainland China.
 
Smokers receiving penalties.
 
Meanwhile, the new "Smoking Control Regulations" state that tobacco products are defined as "all or part made from tobacco as raw materials for smoking, sucking, chewing, or nasal inhalation products, including electronic cigarettes." Smoking is defined as "using electronic cigarettes, holding ignited or heated non-combustible tobacco products." This means that electronic cigarettes are included in the smoking control scope.
  ▲ Various electronic cigarettes (data image)

To enhance public awareness of compliance with the law and strengthen the effectiveness of smoking control enforcement, on the afternoon of October 14, the city's smoking control office, health promotion center, chronic disease center, and smoking control association, along with relevant law enforcement personnel, conducted an anti-smoking enforcement action at the bus stop in Nanshan Science Park.
 
Around 6 PM the previous day, law enforcement personnel discovered a passenger waiting for the bus who was smoking an electronic cigarette. The man stated that his electronic cigarette did not produce ash or cigarette butts.
 
The smoker indicated that he had started using electronic cigarettes a month ago, had come from Guangzhou, and was unaware that electronic cigarettes were included in the smoking ban. He also believed that electronic cigarettes do not pollute the environment like traditional cigarettes.
 
After on-site education by law enforcement personnel, the smoker accepted the penalty, and a fine of 50 yuan was issued on the spot.
 

▲ Scene of the anti-smoking enforcement action
  ▲ Scene of the anti-smoking enforcement action


The new "Smoking Control Regulations" stipulate that as long as smoking occurs in non-smoking areas, law enforcement personnel can impose a fine of 50 yuan and collect it on the spot; for refusal to correct, a fine of 200 yuan; for obstructing law enforcement, a fine of 500 yuan.