Restaurants told to implement smoking bans
A number of restaurants in Putuo District have been ordered to strengthen the implementation of smoking bans after an inspection by health and market authorities on Thursday night.
Several people were found to be smoking in private dining rooms at the Putuo outlet of Xinnanhua Restaurant.
The manager of the restaurant, surnamed Zhang, said: “It is particularly difficult to dissuade guests smoking in private dining rooms as they said they did not affect others.”
Officials said patrols will be enhanced at the restaurant.
A cigarette butt was found at the Shun Feng Restaurant in Putuo. The restaurant was ordered to take strengthened measures as well.
“We will enhance training and education at key venues and strengthen inspections at venues with poor control over smoking,” said Huang Zhiyong, an official with the Shanghai Health Promotion Commission.
“It is the responsibility of working units to dissuade smoking at public venues,” said Huang.
Catering businesses, chain hotels, entertainment venues, taxis, bus stops and Metro stations are being inspected.
Private dining rooms at catering venues, KTVs, toilets inside office buildings and fire passages will be targeted.
Individuals face a fine of 50-200 yuan (US$7-30) for breaches of the city’s smoking-control regulations.
The public is encouraged to report offenders on the 12345 hotline.
Owners of venues are required to ask customers to stub out their cigarettes.
If customers refuse, owners should report offenses to law enforcement officials, or face fines of up to 30,000 yuan, according to the regulation.
Between March 18 and 22 in an intensive citywide smoking-control inspection, officials issued fines totaling 413,700 yuan on venues in 184 smoking cases.
Another 12,750 yuan in fines was imposed on individuals in 158 cases.
Fifty-three of the cases and fines of 129,000 yuan involved catering venues.
Forty-four people were fined 4,950 yuan for smoking at catering venues.
A total of 10,833 businesses were checked in the inspection.
The manager of an outlet of Shun Feng Restaurant on Xikang Road in Putuo District signs a written record of the inspection.
