公共场所禁烟添新规

据新华社报道，卫生部周二宣布，中国颁布了禁止在室内公共场所吸烟的新规则。这些新则将于5月1日生效，规定公共场所经营者应当设置醒目的禁止吸烟标志，应举行宣传活动告诫人们吸烟的危害，还应配备专人对吸烟者进行劝阻。

另外，室外吸烟区不应位于行人必经的通道上，公共场所不得设置自动售烟机。卫生部官员谢杨说，中国是国际卫生组织《烟草控制框架公约》缔约国，这些新则表明了中国加大烟草控制的决心。

New bans for smoking in public places

The Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that China enacted new rules to ban smoking in indoor public locations, Xinhua reported. The new regulations, which will take effect on May 1, stipulate that business owners of public places should have clearly visible non-smoking signs, carry out promotional activities to warn people of the danger of smoking, and dispatch personnel to dissuade smokers.

In addition, the smoking areas in outdoor locations should not occupy people's paths and cigarette vending machines should be excluded from public places. These new rules, in addition to its ratification of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, show China's resolution to intensify tobacco control efforts, said ministry official Xie Yang.

(China.org.cn March 23, 2011)