Guangzhou is enforcing a new law to prohibit smoking in public. The law entitled "Guangzhou Smoking Control Regulation" was fiercely discussed yesterday, May 23rd, by the head of Guangzhou Smoke Control Society.

According to the regulation public spaces include schools, hospitals, gymnasiums, theaters, dancing halls and restaurants.

The discussion yesterday focused on four points:

Should it be punished if the person has cigarette in his hand? (How to distinguish smokers and persons with a cigarette in hand?)

Should smoking be forbidden in the office?

How to judge the age of cigarette buyers?

How to punish the smoker if he/she has no money at hand?

A survey in 2002 shows that there are at least 1.68 million smokers in Guangzhou, 15% of whom are doctors, a spokesman of Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. He also noted that from 2004 20.5% of citizens above 15 years old are smokers.

Editor: Yan