Time to ban public smoking and save lives

Eighteen months ago, I was thrilled when - in the same week - Beijing adopted a law to make all indoor public places in the city 100 percent smoke-free; and the State Council, China's cabinet, published draft national regulations to enact a ban on smoking in public places across the country. Finally, I thought then, China is getting serious about addressing a problem which kills two Chinese people every minute, and in doing so, takes an enormous toll on China's health system and economy.

On World No Tobacco day, one year after the excellent Beijing smoke-free law came into effect, there is much to celebrate: enforcement of the Beijing law has been strong, compliance rates good, public support extremely high, and Beijingers breathing easier as a result. Beijing has shown it can be done.

However, I am sad to say progress on the national law has not been so positive. In fact, I am bitterly disappointed. A range of very problematic loopholes in the draft law have appeared: smoking would be permitted in individual offices, as well as other public places like restaurants, bars, hotels, and airports. Not even hospital campuses would be entirely smoke-free.