Beijing is waging a war against smoking, banning smoking in public places. The caveat to this is that smoking is permissible in restaurants, bars, internet cafes and amusement parks in designated areas. While efforts may have increased due to the Olympics, the National Health Ministry has been making a move to curb smoking habits since 1991. If Beijing is moving towards smoke-free status, perhaps Shanghai will be the next to follow suit.

While this may piss off many people (of the smoking variety), coming from a country in which over the half the provinces are already smoke-free, I can speak from experience and say that, after the adjustment period, smokers, non-smokers, retailers and even the restaurants and clubs have overwhelmingly preferred the smoke-free environment. As a number of my smoke-friendly friends informed me, "I like to smoke, but I don't necessarily like being around smoke all the time."

Apart from eliminating the obvious second-hand smoke risk for non-smokers, consider this: no more smelling like an ash tray after leaving restaurants, no more burn holes in the clothes you wore to the bar last night, no more sticky brown guck stuck to the side of the drapes that you conveniently forgot to wash, no more burn holes in sofas, chairs, carpets ... The smoke-free movement, if successful in Beijing and later in other major Chinese cities would be more likely a boon to the major tobacco companies, but to be realistic, this smoking / non-smoking war is an old one--now it's just found a new turf. Guess we'll see if the government can reign in the chain-smoking masses in time for the Olympics. Beyond that is anyone's guess, but it's gonna be an interesting ride--or drag.