Beijing coughs up 1m yuan in fines for public smoking

BEIJING: Beijing has collected more than 1 million yuan (RM619,204)) in fines and seen tobacco sales fall, almost one year since the country's strictest smoking ban was imposed in the city, health authorities said.
From June 1, 2015, smoking has been banned in all indoor public places, workplaces and public transportation.
Beijing's tobacco controls are the toughest in China, which is considering nationwide restrictions.
The bulk of the fines came from 398 businesses and institutions fined an average of 2,600 yuan, the Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning said late Thursday.
A further 1,514 individuals were each fined an average of 53 yuan, the commission said.
Tobacco sales in the city fell 2.71% in 2015, according to the statement.
"People in Beijing are coming to accept that smoking is not allowed in public places," Xinhua news agency cited the commission's Gao Xiaojun as saying.
Gao said migrant workers know little about the ban and are more likely to get into trouble for smoking.
China is the world's largest cigarette manufacturer and consumer with more than 300 million smokers, according to government statistics.
Smoking is responsible for more than one million deaths in mainland China every year. — dpa