Shanghai proposes strict smoking ban

Beijing, July 28 (IANS) Shanghai, China's first municipality to pass legislation on tobacco controls, on Thursday proposed a stricter smoking bans at hotels, restaurants, airports and other public venues.

Under a draft revision to the city's tobacco control rule that took effect in March 2010, smoking will be prohibited in all indoor areas of hotels, restaurants, airports, railway stations and ports.

Municipal legislators reviewed the bill on Thursday at a session of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People's Congress, Xinhua news agency reported.

The amendment would ban smoking in outdoor audience seating and performance venues, cultural heritage sites and waiting areas for public transportation.

China has 316 million smokers, with another 740 million exposed to passive smoking. In 2015, about 733,000 Chinese were diagnosed with smoking-related lung cancer.