No Smoking * 禁止吸烟。

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This may not seem like a big deal to most Americans, but a highly charged and controversial ban on smoking in restaurants, hospitals, universities and other public places has ignited controversy throughout China, home to a third of the world's smokers.

Smokers in China's capital city will not be allowed to light up in all indoor public places, at work or on public transit under new legislation passed by the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

These new restrictions will start in June, according to Chinese state media. Among those affected will be teachers, who are forbidden from smoking in front of students in primary and secondary grades. Schools themselves will be required to educate students about the dangers of smoking.

The wide-ranging measure will also ban cigarette advertising in broadcast, print and online and prohibit all forms of tobacco sponsorship and promotions.

According to estimates, WHO figures there are more than 300 million smokers among China's 1.3 billion people and these new restrictions could eventually be rolled out across the country. Good luck with that, the smoking rate among Chinese men is 61 percent.