Beijing lawmaker advises against smoking scenes in movies, teleplays
1/2/2007 17:49
A lawmaker in Beijing has called on authorities to make laws to strictly
restrict smoking scenes in movies and teleplays to create a better environment
for the health and growth of young people.
Currently, many smoking scenes can
be seen in movies and teleplays. The police chief and detectives always light a
cigarette when they come across thorny problems, said Gu Jin, at the annual
meeting of the local legislature, the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, on
Tuesday.
"Smoking stands for manhood in the eyes of most young boys, and such
an understanding will inevitably exert a bad influence on their growth," Gu, a
doctor of the Beijing Cancer Hospital, was quoted by the Beijing Evening News
yesterday.
Gu also advised movie and teleplay producers against including
smoking images in posters or other means of promotion.
The State Tobacco
Monopoly Administration estimates that China has more than 350 million smokers,
about 26 percent of the country's total population and a third of the world's
smoking population. Each year, about 700,000 die from smoking-related
diseases.
Gu also called for a smoking ban in public places, especially in
schools, hospitals, kindergartens, theatres and stadiums, to support holding a
"Green Olympics" in 2008.
To restaurants, cafes and other entertainment
venues, he proposed setting up a smoking-free area first and then imposing a
complete smoking ban gradually.
On Tuesday, Beijing's Disease Prevention and
Control Center started a smoking ban drive, urging the city's 40,000 restaurants
to "take an active move" and voluntarily ban smoking.
Currently, about 27
percent Beijingers smoke while the remainder are passive smokers from breathing
in second-hand smoke, said Feng Ailan, a health expert with the
center.
During the busy dinner hour, the air in many small and medium-size
restaurants in Beijing is often blue with cigarette smoke.
Xinhua
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