Plan to curb tobacco use applauded

Health-savvy lawmakers hailed the top legislature's plan to make the first national law on tobacco and smoking control, although they expressed concerns over how it will be enforced.

The response came after the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee of the National People's Congress released a report last week saying: "It is quite necessary to enact laws to control the dangers of tobacco."

Such a law should be added into future legislation plans after proper preparation, said the report, which was adopted at Friday's closing session of a bimonthly meeting of the NPC Standing Committee.

Calling the move "progress", Gu Jin, a leading cancer specialist at Beijing Cancer Hospital and an NPC deputy, said China needs a national law to advance the country's tobacco and smoking control and to protect public health.

Some provinces and cities have enacted local laws and regulations to fight smoking, but "enforcement was far from good", he said, adding that he had submitted at least three bills on drafting a national law.

During the NPC's plenary session in March, about 90 NPC deputies submitted three bills on making a law on the prevention and control of tobacco hazards, according to the report by Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee.

Also, 139 deputies put forward another four bills calling for national legislation banning smoking at public places, Xinhua News Agency reported.