Chinese officials have recently been banned from smoking in public by the highest levels of the ruling Communist Party and government, the Associated Press reported.
China, which has the world's largest number of smokers, is making an effort to limit smoking.
Guidelines banning smoking in venues including hotels and restaurants were pushed by the health ministry in 2011, but these were criticized as having no clear punishments or details on how such bans would be enforced. Efforts to curb smoking in public places were also largely limited to city and other local-level measures until Sunday's notice from the State Council, or China's Cabinet, and the party's central committee.
Campaigners hope the new rules will help bring about a nationwide law banning smoking in public places, the AP reported. Officials are not allowed to smoke in schools, hospitals, sports venues, on public transport or any other places where smoking is banned, or to smoke or offer cigarettes when performing official duties, the official Xinhua News said.
Public funds cannot be used by them to purchase cigarettes. Within Communist Party or government offices, tobacco products cannot be sold nor advertisements displayed, according to the AP.
"This is likely a major breakthrough. For the first time, very high-level attention and support is being given to anti-tobacco efforts," said Ray Yip, head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's China program, whose foundation has been working on smoking cessation campaigns in the country. "This likely will lead to meaningful legislation and enforcement related to smoking."
With a population of 1.35 billion, China has more than 300 million smokers.
According to the AP, experts say huge revenues from the state-owned tobacco monopoly have hindered anti-smoking measures. Handed down from the highest levels of power, its influence can be reduced through an order banning party officials from smoking indoors.
An average annual death toll of 1.4 million people in China is linked to smoking in recent years. It's one of the greatest health threats the country faces, government statistics show, the AP reported. The annual number of cigarettes sold in the country increased by 50 percent to 2.52 trillion in 2012 compared with 10 years earlier, according to the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control, which is overseen by health authorities.
"Smoking remains a relatively universal phenomenon in public venues," Xinhua News reported. "Some officials smoke in public places, which has not only jeopardized the environment and public health, but tarnished the image of party and government offices and leaders and has a negative influence."
