Ban on smoking in public places must be enforced to the letter

SHENZHEN IN SOUTH CHINA'S GUANGDONG PROVINCE implemented a smoking ban on Jan 1 this year, forbidding smoking in public rooms and on public transport. Since May 7, local law enforcers have launched several special campaigns to dissuade people from smoking in public. Sznews.com comments:

Some might argue that smoking is a personal choice and one has the right to decide whether to damage one's health by smoking or not. That might be true if they smoke behind closed doors, the problem is, a large number of smokers smoke in public and victimize others. Secondhand smoking is a big problem in modern society and it infringes on the rights of those who do not want to get themselves in harm's way even passively.

That's why a smoking ban is the common choice of developed countries and regions. In Singapore, smoking is forbidden in all indoor public spaces and the majority of outdoor ones. In Hong Kong, there is even a special team that inspects public places and punishes illegal smokers.