Gold medals galore for not lighting up

As an ardent supporter of the smoking ban in public places, I was a little disappointed when the municipal government announced last week that restaurants, Internet cafes, parks, and waiting halls at airports, railway stations and coach stations are only required to set up smoking areas under its amended regulation to expand smoke-free public places.

But my husband, a light smoker, says it is already another big stride forward. Beijing has gone a long way from banning smoking in a lot of public places, he says.

There was a time when smokers did not have a bad conscience about smoking in front of non-smokers, including children. I remember my classmates and I were ordered to sit in a small office one day during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). We were there to listen to an elderly factory chief talking for three hours, and that man lit up 11 cigarettes and drank tea in between.