Wang Yuanyuan

    A SMOKING ban was enforced at Shenzhen’s bus and coach stations at the beginning of the month.

    More indoor public venues are expected to ban smoking following a new law announced by the Ministry of Health last week.

    Most long-distance coach terminals had directed staff to enforce the rule but fines could not yet be imposed, said Wu Zhongling, an official at Luohu Coach Station.

    Coach terminals, such as those at Luohu, Yinhu, Futian and Yantian stations, closed their smoking rooms Sunday. Yantian Station plans to rebuild the room into a nursery for children.

    However, smoking rooms at Shenzhen International Airport and railway stations remain.

    The airport said it was waiting for a notice from the Civil Aviation Administration and was undecided whether to close the smoking room, while railway stations had no plans to close smoking areas.

    According to the Ministry of Health, hotels, restaurants, cafes, clubs, hair salons, cosmetic salons, cinemas, gaming rooms, concert halls, stadiums, parks, exhibition centers, stores and public transport all banned smoking from Sunday.

    Most places such as stores, exhibition centers and cinemas had already banned smoking, but it could be difficult to enforce the policy, said Xiong Jingfan, vice head of the Shenzhen Chronic Disease Control Center.