Being a Smoker in Shenzhen is About to Get Much Tougher

By Bryan Grogan, February 13, 2019

Shenzhen government officials are working on new regulations for smokers in the city. A draft of ideas that the government wants to add to current smoking regulations was released on their website at the end of January.

Under the draft regulations, Shenzhen citizens will not be allowed to smoke within the vicinity of any public transportation depots, meaning that people caught smoking outside of metro stations and at bus stops could potentially be fined. In addition, smoking outside of sports arenas will also be prohibited, and non-smoking signs will be set-up at various spots around the city.

While Hangzhou was the first city in China to make e-cigarette smoking illegal in public places, Shenzhen may soon follow suit. Under the new draft legislation, e-cigarettes will have equal footing with traditional tobacco products. That means that all of the above laws will also apply to e-cigarette smokers.

Another major overhaul to the current laws that the government is trying to implement is the prohibition of the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of schools and child activity centers. Shops and outlets which ignore the rules can be fined up to RMB30,000, according to Shenzhen News Network.

One outlet in Shenzhen was fined RMB30,000 in July 2018 for selling cigarettes to a minor, something which has been banned since 2007.

Smoking will also be prohibited in parks, tourist attractions, nearby medical centers and social centers which provide facilities for pregnant women.

City officials also want to establish a smoking ban management system, implement public smoking education and equip officers who will carry out smoking ban inspections.

All of these regulations will come under Shenzhen's ‘Smoke-Free City’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, while also trying to cut the number of citizens who use tobacco products to just 20 percent by 2020.

It is not yet clear when these regulations will go into effect, but the government is currently welcoming the feedback of all Shenzhen citizens before a deadline of February 25, 2019. You can find relevant contact information by following this link.

[Cover image via Pixabay]