Representatives from 16 Tobacco Control Cities: Smoking Control Regulations Must Not Be Interfered W

China not only has the largest number of smokers in the world but also the highest number of secondhand smoke victims. With the development of society, public social activities are gradually increasing, and the importance of a comprehensive smoking ban in public places is becoming increasingly prominent.

Today, a seminar on promoting national tobacco control legislation was held in Beijing, hosted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Representatives from 16 legislative cities, including Tianjin, Lanzhou, and Qingdao, jointly called for the formulation of the "Regulations on Smoking Control in Public Places" to uphold the spirit of the "Convention".

The initiative released at the meeting stated that, taking restaurants as an example, as the most commonly used venue for public interactions, if smoking areas are allowed, even sitting in non-smoking areas will expose individuals to secondhand smoke due to the movement of smoke. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, 69 of which are confirmed carcinogens. The law must protect the health rights of non-smokers and shield them from the harms of secondhand smoke.

How can effective protection be achieved?

The initiative pointed out that the World Health Organization's "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" and its "Guidelines for Protecting Against Tobacco Smoke Exposure" provide clear answers: only a 100% smoke-free indoor environment can ensure the public is protected from the harms of tobacco smoke.

According to experts at the meeting, nearly 50 countries worldwide have established and implemented comprehensive smoke-free laws in public places. In these countries, public health, especially the health rights of non-smokers, have been greatly protected. Many of these countries are middle-income nations similar to China. For example, Russia has a higher adult smoking rate than China, and despite its harsh winter climate, it has successfully implemented a nationwide indoor public smoking ban since 2013.

Research results from tobacco control law enforcement managers and personnel in some legislative cities show that achieving a fully smoke-free environment and building a smoke-free society requires legislation that meets the requirements of the "Convention", effective enforcement, and, more importantly, social consensus and cooperation. Granting comprehensive smoke-free status to indoor venues will simplify and make enforcement fairer without increasing the workload or difficulty of enforcement. Complicated enforcement procedures hinder the effective implementation of tobacco control regulations; setting up indoor smoking areas or smoking rooms obstructs the effective implementation of regulations.

It is understood that China, as a signatory to the World Health Organization's "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control", is actively taking steps to fulfill its tobacco control commitments. In April of this year, the "Regulations on Smoking Control in Public Places" were included in the State Council's 2016 legislative plan, aiming to be introduced within this year.

The initiative bluntly states, that during the legislative process, relevant departments have suggested that comprehensive smoke-free legislation would affect tobacco sales, employment, and interfere with poverty alleviation efforts in China. In places where the public has already accepted the concept of a comprehensive smoke-free environment, such as indoor public places, indoor workplaces, public transportation, and waiting areas, implementing partial smoking bans and allowing smoking rooms raises the question: Is enacting such a law a regression in China's tobacco control commitments? Does it compromise the baseline of a responsible signatory to the "Convention"?

The initiative believes that the content of the "Regulations on Smoking Control in Public Places" must have a baseline; only by maintaining this baseline can we effectively protect non-smokers in China from the harms of secondhand smoke and preserve China's good international image as a responsible major country.

"Our baseline is: comprehensive smoke-free in indoor public places, indoor workplaces, and public transportation! Tobacco control is not easy, and the road is long, but for the health of hundreds of millions of people, policymakers should deliver a satisfactory answer to the people and be responsible to history."

(Original title: "50 countries implement comprehensive smoke-free laws in public places; representatives from 16 tobacco control cities call for the formulation of public smoking control regulations")