Beijing to pass toughest smoking ban this week  

This file photo shows a smoking room at a Beijing airport. (Chinanews.com)

(ECNS) --Beijing will pass its strictest smoking control law this week, banning smoking in all indoor public places and eliminating smoking rooms at airports,the Beijing Youth Daily said.

The Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress will vote Thursday on a final draft law of the smoking ban in workplaces and public transportation of all types.

Under the draft regulation, "indoor" means any space covered by a roof or enclosed by two or more sides, including an elevator, corridor, staircase or bathroom.

"Public place" means any location where people gather to shop, dine, receive accommodation, or seek services such as medical, education, entertainment or fitness training.

The second draft law was watered down, as hotels and airports were allowed to designate rooms for smokers. Authorities have excluded such content from the final draft, showing the city's resolution to ban smoking, the report said.

It also said that the city government would set a grace period for airports to deal with existing smoking rooms.

The draft law also bars smokers from open-air areas at kindergartens, schools, children's centers and historic sites.

Beijing banned smoking in public places in March 2008, before the Olympics, but it was poorly implemented, Xinhua said.

China is home to over 300 million smokers, with more than one million people dying as a result of tobacco-related illnesses each year, according to the WHO.