In Beijing, volunteers in blue vests are chasing down people who covertly smoke in banned areas, and handing out fines as well as “criticism and education”.
Smoking is already banned in restaurants and other indoor areas in China and there is talk of a nationwide ban on smoking in public places. And China is not alone.
Lighting up in public has been banned in much of the West for more than a decade — as part of wide anti-smoking policies which include raising the price of cigarettes, graphic warnings on packets (which, in Australia, can’t even feature branding symbols), and huge public awareness campaigns.
As sales dropped, the cigarette companies looked East. In China, 300 million people smoke and smoking contributes to the economy. But it is also creating a health crisis that will be expensive to manage.
Laws differ around the world — there is a country-by-country list on Wikipedia (veracity not guaranteed) — but the direction of travel is clear. It’s becoming difficult for smokers as anti-smoking laws everywhere.
Fun fact: the Isle of Man has the world's first smoke-free jail, denying prisoners their traditional "currency" and raising the question of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
Now, I have heard the arguments on both sides. Smokers say they have the right to light up in places such as pubs and clubs, and if others don’t like it then they can go elsewhere. Other smokers agree that there should be some nonsmoking areas but the laws have become too strict — and the price of a packet too high.
Nonsmokers say the rights of smokers shouldn’t overrule their right to be in an atmosphere with clean air or their right to visit certain establishments. After all, they say, nobody has died from not smoking, but plenty of people have died from second-hand smoke.
Certainly there are places where smoking must be banned for safety reasons. And there are places, such as medical facilities, where smoking bans make sense contextually. But even in hospitals you’ll see some sad souls wandering around the grounds in their pyjamas with a cigarette in their grasp. As one of them said: “It’s going to kill me anyway; I might as well enjoy it.”
