To protect public health and keep its promise of a smoke-free Olympics, the Beijing government has issued new regulations that require most workplaces and public places to be smoke-free. The regulations took effect May 1, 2008.

This directive will help to protect the city's 16 million residents and workers, as well as Olympic competitors and visitors, from the serious health hazards of secondhand smoke. It can also serve as a catalyst for other measures to reduce the devastating toll of tobacco throughout China.

The directive for the first time completely prohibits smoking in such public places and workplaces as:

• primary and secondary schools and vocational middle schools
• offices and meeting rooms (and canteens, corridors, elevators, and lavatories) in government units, associations, enterprises and public institutions
• cultural institutions such as cinemas, concert halls, and art galleries
• all indoor areas of medical facilities
• indoor stadiums and gymnasiums, and the competition and spectator areas of open-air stadiums and gymnasiums, and
• indoor platforms and stations for public transportation.

The new directive also for the first time restricts smoking in restaurants, bars and hotels. In addition, the directive continues the city's 1995 ban on smoking in a variety of other venues, such as public transportation, childcare centers and kindergartens, and the service halls of shops, banks and post offices.

Related and Background Materials:

• Beijing Smoke-free Directive (10 April 2008) (English | Chinese)
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Press Statement: As Olympics Near, Beijing Issues Smoke-Free Directive (10 April 2008) (English | Chinese)
• Beijing Olympic Media Center Press Release on the Beijing Directive (24 April 2008) (English |Chinese)
• Transcript of Press Conference on Beijing Directive Held by the Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee and Beijing Municipal Legal Affairs Office (24 April 2008) (English | Chinese)
• Beijing Patriotic Health Campaign Committee Resource Webpage on the Beijing Directive (in Chinese)
• Beijing Government Explication of Smoke-free Directive, 24 January 2008 (in English and Chinese)
• Beijing 1995 Smoke-free Legislation (in English and Chinese)
• 2007 Statistics for the City of Beijing
• News Reports in Chinese Media on Beijing Smoke-free Directive, January-April 2008 (April 30, 2008)
  
• Opinion Pieces in Chinese Media on Beijing Smoke-free Directive, January-April 2008 (April 30 2008)
• News Reports and Opinion Pieces in Chinese Media on Proposed Shanghai Smoke-free Legislation, March 2008
• News Reports and Opinion Pieces in Chinese Media on NPC & CPPCC Tobacco Control Proposals, March 2008
• Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 8 Guidelines (Protection from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke)
• Summary of Key Articles from the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)
• 2006 China Tobacco Control Report (English | Chinese)
• 2007 China Tobacco Control Report (English | Chinese)