Smoking zones set up in public venues in Shanghai

Shanghai's first batch of 100 demonstration outdoor smoking points, which are aimed at discouraging people from smoking while walking, have been put into use, the Shanghai Health Promotion Commission Office said on Wednesday.

The demonstration points include those built at the city's landmarks such as the Nanjing Road pedestrian street, Jinmao Tower, and the waterfront areas along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek.

Others are located at shopping malls, sports venues, public green spaces, exhibition centers, transportation hubs, and cultural galleries and museums.

The office said that it hopes the establishment of such smoking points will help individuals form the habit of smoking at designated points and away from the crowds.

Shanghai became the first provincial-level region on the Chinese mainland to adopt tobacco control measures at public sites in 2010. Over the past decade, the smoking rate among adults in the city has declined to the current 19.4 percent.