China Launches Bid to Stub Out Smoking in Beijing

China launched an ambitious campaign to curb smoking in its capital city on Monday, with signs urging the masses against the habit and penalties ranging from fines to public shaming.

The rules prohibit smoking in public places like restaurants, hospitals, schools and hotels, Reuters reports, as well as in specific outdoor areas. Individuals who are caught violating the new restrictions will have to pay the equivalent of a $32.25 fine, and multiple offenders could have their names shamed on a government website. Businesses that don’t comply could face a fine of up to $1,600.

Stubbing out public smoking in China, the world’s largest tobacco consumer and home to more than 300 million smokers, has been on the agenda of health advocates for years.

[Reuters]