Zhongshan set to ban smoking in restaurants

ZHONGSHAN, Guangdong: This Pearl River Delta city is set to become the first on the mainland to introduce a total ban on smoking in restaurants, an official has said.

The Zhongshan legal affairs bureau is expected to issue its "Regulations on Banning Smoking in the Restaurants of Zhongshan" later this year, Peng Zhenyu, an official with the bureau, said yesterday.

He declined to give an exact date, however, saying the bureau is still seeking input from the public and experts.