Is Smoking Illegal In China? Country Considers Nationwide Ban On Public Smoking

The world's most populated country is considering instituting a nationwide ban on smoking in public places.

China, which consumes roughly 40 percent of the world’s cigarettes, according to a report from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, may expand on the smoking ban that was instituted in Beijing. The city banned public smoking in restaurants and indoor locations 18 months ago.

There are over 300 million smokers in China and a million die each year from smoking-related causes. A major national anti-smoking campaign was recently launched by President Xi Jinping, who has vehemently opposed public smoking among Communist party members in the past.

In Beijing, if someone is caught for smoking in public places, they could reportedly be fined for up to 200 yuan (or $32). A government-funded initiative to ensure that city goers abstain from smoking was also created, aptly named the Beijing Tobacco Control Association, which is made up of volunteer workers that submit complaints when they spot someone smoking in public. Thus far, around 2,700 people have been fined since the ban took effect, according to the news outlet.

Currently, the tobacco industry accounts for a sizable amount of the country’s revenue. The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), a Chinese government agency, reported over $150 billion in tax revenues in 2015, according to the Associated Press.

Public bans on smoking have been gaining more momentum across Asia, with the Philippines recently calling for a nationwide ban on public smoking. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte implemented the public smoking ban in October, which included "parks, bus stations, and even in vehicles," Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial had told Reuters at the time.

Asian and Southeast Asian countries are not the only countries that have implemented the public smoking bans. Ireland, Greece and Spain, among others, all have some sort of smoking ban set in place, according to the European Commission.