What have been termed the strictest controls on smoking in Beijing will be implemented on June 1, 2015. Once the new regime is in place, officials and citizens alike can call 12320, or contact the "Smoking Free Beijing" wechat account to report violations. The highest fine is 200 yuan.

According to the new regulations, smoking will not be allowed in any location with a roof in Beijing. In addition to public places, workplaces, and public transportation, places where juveniles gather, culture relic protection sites, and stadiums will all fall under supervision. These regulations have been described as the "strictest ever" controls on smoking. However, strong enforcement will be required to ensure they are respceted.

On this issue, lessons can be learned from Hong Kong. First of all, Hong Kong imposes high fines for smoking violations. Anyone caught smoking in a public place or in a smoking-free area will be fined 1,500 HK dollars. Secondly, the government encourages citizens to report violations. In 2012, there were 18,000 reports on smoking violations in Hong Kong. And thirdly, Hong Kong exercises very intense and strict inspection of smoking violations. Inspector-generals frequently visit public places to carry out checks, even during holidays, weekends, and the early hours of the morning.

In recent years, the media have had a tendency to overuse the term "strictest" when describing new regulations and policies. The truth is that whether a policy is the strictest or not is dependent not on the policy itself, but on the rigor of the implementation. This is the measure by which it will become apparent whether the new regulations are truly the strictest, or merely for show. 

This article is edited and translated from 《凡是有屋顶的地方都不能抽烟》，source: China Youth Daily, author: Wang Shichuan