China mulls wider ban of tobacco ads

BEIJING - China's top legislature has begun reviewing a draft amendment to the Advertisement Law that aims to ban tobacco advertisements in more public venues and online.

"Tobacco advertisements directly or indirectly transmitted via radio, film, television, newspaper, magazines, books, audio and visual products, electronic publications, telecommunication networks and the Internet are banned," the draft amendment obtained by Xinhua said.

Meanwhile, the draft includes more specific public venues where tobacco ads would be banned, such as libraries, cultural centers, museums, parks, waiting rooms, theaters, meeting halls, sports auditoriums, and near hospitals and schools.

"Outdoor tobacco advertisements are forbidden," it said.

The bill, submitted Monday to lawmakers, reflects a heated anti-smoking battle in the country. In June, scholars, health and legal professionals and tobacco control experts jointly signed a letter to the national legislative body, urging them to fully outlaw tobacco advertising.

In 2003, China signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It requires signing parties to "comprehensively ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship."

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