Outdoor smoking management tightened at Shanghai's popular scenic spots
A volunteer installs a No Smoking sign on Wukang Road in downtown Shanghai.
Local government departments are teaming up to regulate outdoor smoking behavior at eight scenic spots in Shanghai that are popular with tourists, both from home and abroad.
The eight spots are: Wukang Road, Yuyuan Garden, Xintiandi, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, Lujiazui, the Bund, INLET and Panlong Tiandi.
Signs have been set up to guide people to designated outdoor smoking spots and not smoke randomly, educational posters have been installed to highlight the harm of smoking, and volunteers have been recruited to persuade people not to smoke while walking.
The exposure of second-hand smoking in Shanghai is 47.6 percent. Though the control on indoor smoking has been tightened, there have been rising public complaints about people smoking while walking, a behavior not only impacting other people's health but also fraught with safety risks.
The five outdoor places which drew the most gripes about outdoor smoking are: outdoor waiting areas at scenic spots, restaurants and pubs and bars; sidewalks and waiting areas for traffic lights; outdoor amusement parks; bus stops; and entrances and exits of shopping malls and office buildings.
Both local residents and expatriate tourists have complained about outdoor smoking.
A No Smoking sign is installed at the entrance and exit of the Metro Station at INLET.
Local health authorities have teamed up with the management authorities of the eight popular spots to enhance outdoor smoking administration.
Officials said the eight spots will further improve their supervision and cooperate with stores and businesses to tighten monitoring of smoking. The public can also call 12345, the local government's bilingual hotline to give tips, suggestion and complaints.
Shanghai initiated a campaign late last year to strengthen control of second-hand smoke in eight types of outdoor venues, according to a joint statement issued by nine local authorities.
The eight venues were outdoor waiting areas, sidewalks and traffic light waiting zones, outdoor amusement parks, bus stops, entrances and exits of shopping malls and office buildings, school gates, hospital entrances, and Metro stations.
