Public place smoking banned in China

Public smoking in China's capital, Beijing, is now banned after the introduction of a new law. China has over 300 million smokers and more than a million Chinese die from smoking-related illnesses every year. Smoking bans already existed in China, but have largely failed to crack down on the habit. These tougher regulations, enforced by thousands of inspectors, ban lighting up in restaurants, offices and on public transport in Beijing. Smoking in China often seems like a national pastime. The country consumes a third of the world's cigarettes. More than half of men smoke. The new rules were agreed by lawmakers in November 2014 but only came into effect on 1 June. Repeat offenders will be named and shamed on a government website, according to the Reuters news agency. The new law also cracks down on tobacco advertising across the city.