As of May 1, the Chinese government is banning smoking in all closed public spaces. This includes restaurants, bars, internet cafes and public transport, but excludes offices. Cigarette vending machines will also be removed from public venues. Because of the prevalence of smoking in the country, experts are unsure whether the new ban is strong enough to hold up.

According to the new law, restaurant owners will have to pay a fine of up to 30,000 Yuan, almost US$ 5,000 if they fail to stop their guests from smoking. Still, indoor venues in Beijing seem to be taking their chances as smoking continues.

Xiang Fan, who patrols Beijing Liuliqiao transport station, said, "We try to stop every smoker we spot in this hall, but often, those who are caught react very strongly, and give us a hard time. I think it will be a long and arduous process to make public areas smoke free. People need better awareness".

In fact, only 20% of all Chinese adults believe smoking to be hazardous to a person’s health. Risks like second-hand smoke are unknown to many Chinese people. Around 350 million people in China smoke – which makes it the world largest smoking population and places every third smoker on the planet in China, according to figures released by the World Health Organization.

Following the smoking ban, the Chinese government might be missing out on part of its revenue. The government operation China National Tobacco Corporation holds the state monopoly in tobacco products and produced almost 8% of the GDP.