• March 29, 2024

Smoking ban taken seriously in Macau

So far, 28,835 people have been caught smoking in Macau in places where smoking has been banned since the implementation of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Law in January 2012, according to a story in the Macau Daily Times.

During that time, law enforcement inspectors have carried out 874,876 inspections at various establishments. These inspections have been aimed at ensuring also that other aspects of the law are being observed, including those to do with pack labelling and retail sales.

But smoking in public places seems to be the main area of concern. So far this year, 4,683 cases have been brought, 4,650 of them to do with smoking in public places, 27 to do with pack labeling and six to do with retailers failing to obey the law.

Of the cases concerning people smoking in public places this year, Health Bureau figures show that 92.7 percent concerned men and that 62.3 percent concerned Macau residents.

Otherwise, 33.1 percent of the cases involved tourists and 4.6 percent non-resident workers.

The ‘top’ locations at which public-places smoking offences occurred were cybercafés, 20.1 percent, followed by parks, gardens, and recreational areas, and then commercial stores and shopping centers.