Smoke-free two sessions drive making progress

However, "that fact wasn't well known among many Chinese, including government officials, until recently," Wang said. Even worse, he added, "Smoking has long been deemed a social activity in China."

The annual legislative and political advisory sessions can serve as good opportunities to raise public awareness, while the two sessions will be the first real test of the December notice, he added.

This year, both venues for the meetings and the delegates' hotels are displaying notices announcing the smoking ban. Ashtrays have also been removed.

A waitress surnamed Liu at Beijing's Tiantai hotel said although the management hadn't instructed her to stop deputies smoking indoors and the hotel had not displayed "no smoking" signs in the rooms, she hadn't seen anyone smoking in the hotel reserved for NPC deputies from Shaanxi, Jiangxi, and Jilin provinces.

Meanwhile, at a nearby hotel, an NPC deputy from Yunnan province smoked a cigarette in his room while being interviewed. "I feel terrible when I can't smoke during the meetings," he said.

NPC deputy Chen Zhimin said she welcomed a smoke-free two sessions. "I haven't seen any deputies smoking in the hotel so far this year and I hope that will become the norm in the future. It helps the environment and public health," she said, adding that smoking is only allowed in an open space outside her hotel.

Wu Yiqun, deputy director of Think Tank, an NGO committed to greater controls on tobacco and smoking, said: "A clear definition of designated smoking areas is helpful in better implementing a smoking ban."

The new norm

Wang noted that hospitals, schools, and the offices of the top health and education authorities are now smoke-free zones. "Other departments are welcome to follow up and pass on the healthy message," he said. "Starting from these two sessions, the new norm will spread to other government working establishments."

Zhong Nanshan, an NPC deputy from Guangdong, said strong government commitment is key to successful tobacco control in China.

According to Wu Yiqun, more key measures are needed, including graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and raising the tax paid on cigarettes. The retail price of tobacco products should also be raised, she added.

China's implementation of the WHO framework is primarily led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which oversees the State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, or the China National Tobacco Corporation.

Wu said it would be better if responsibility for the implementation were to be placed in the hands of healthcare professionals to promote more effective control of tobacco products.

"The top health authority would be a better fit for this leading position," she said.

Shin from the WHO called on China to "overcome 'competing interests' to enforce stronger tobacco control policies and measures".