Shanghai: Restaurants and office buildings in China's commercial capital Shanghai are scrambling to set up nonsmoking areas as it bans lighting up in indoor public spaces ahead of the World Expo.
There is rising awareness of the health risks of smoking in China, by far the world's biggest tobacco-consuming country, and this modern city of 20 million is cleaning up its act as it prepares to host the Expo, which begins May 1.
That six-month event, which will showcase the theme "Better City, Better Life," is expected to attract 70 million people, with exhibits from 192 countries.
Most of the visitors will be Chinese from other cities where tobacco use is less strictly controlled.
Even before the ban took effect Monday, most major public facilities in Shanghai, including many shopping malls and all subways and subway stations, banned smoking.
Now authorities have penalties to apply, and have signed up 20,000 volunteers to help enforce the ban.
First-time offenders will get a warning. If they resist, they face fines of 50 yuan to 200 yuan ($7 to $30)
In response, downtown office buildings are now distributing notices about new indoor smoking areas. Workers routinely smoke in hallways and elevator lobbies.
Most restaurants are only offering token moves, such as designating areas for nonsmokers that are not truly smoke free.
People will still be free to light up on sidewalks and streets.
China accounts for more than one-quarter of the world's 1.3 billion smokers, and any newcomer to the country is hit by the pervasive smell of tobacco smoke on exiting any airport or train station.
The Chinese buy a total 2 trillion cigarettes a year.
