Shanghai is to impose a wider ban on smoking in the city's public places beginning March 1 next year, according to a draft amendment to the existing anti-smoking law approved by the city's top legislature.

The revisions to the Shanghai Public Places Smoking Control Law, approved by the Shanghai People's Congress, expands smoking ban to kindergartens, schools, libraries and stadiums, China Daily reported Friday.

The existing smoking control law was implemented in 1994 mainly in medical departments.

The new law imposes a fine from 2,000 to 10,000 yuan (US$293 to 1,465) on places that fail to obey the restrictions. Places' serious nonobservance to the order would cause a penalty from 10,000 to 30,000 yuan. Individuals who smoke in banned areas will face a fine from 50 to 200 yuan if they do not agree to snuff the cigarette out.

The amendment required entertainment venues, public areas of hotels, airports and train stations to ban smoking indoor and setup a separate ventilated smoking area.

Eye-catching signs should be put up to indicate the prohibition of smoking, required the amendment.

Statistics show above 30 percent of residents in Shanghai smoke while the national figure stands at nearly 36 percent.

A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday showed that only 5.4 percent of the world's population is covered by comprehensive smoke-free laws in 2008.

However, progress had been made compared with the 3.1 percent covered by smoke-free laws in 2007, WHO said in a statement issued on its website.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2009)