November 9, 2011   A survey conducted by an environmental group finds that a government ban on smoking in indoor public venues has been completely ignored by half of Beijing’s restaurants, a finding that underscores the challenges of controlling tobacco in a country with 300 million smokers. The Daerwen Nature Quest Agency, a civil environmental group, conducted the five-month survey of 51 mid-range and low-end restaurants in Beijing in May after the smoking ban was enacted by the Ministry of Health. The survey, results of which were made public Sunday, found that a complete ban on smoking was imposed in only ten restaurants while it was completely ignored by 25 restaurants. The remaining 16 restaurants separated smoking and non-smoking areas. China is the world’s largest cigarette consumer. The country has 300 million smokers, and more than 740 million non-smokers are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke, according to experts’ estimates. About 1.2 million people died of smoking-related illnesses each year.

For More Information:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-11/06/c_131232143.htm