The Beijing Olympics are going to be smoke-free.

Organizers were expected to announce an Olympic smoking ban Thursday to coincide with World No Tobacco Day. The move will put the 2008 Games in line with other recent Olympics, but it is sure to be controversial in China where an estimated 350 million are smokers.

China is the world's biggest producer of tobacco and manufacturers one third of the world's cigarettes. China already has legislation that bans smoking in public places, but enforcement is uneven.

"The ban will apply to Olympic venues and restaurants," Zhang Jianshu said Thursday, a spokesman for Beijing's Health Bureau. He said more details would be released later on Thursday.

The ban is expected to include Olympic competition sites, the Olympic Village _ and hotels, restaurants and other areas designated for Olympic use.

"The 2008 Olympics will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in China's tobacco fight," said Dr. Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization spokesman in China.

Beijing organizers have been under pressure to change people's behavior before the August 8-24 Games. In recent months, campaigns have begun to stop people from spitting and teach them to stand in line. Some taxi drivers and hotel worker are also receiving etiquette and English lessons.