On 26 May, the Harbin People’s Congress voted and approved smokefree legislation for the city that will ban smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces.

Harbin, a city with more than 10 million residents, is the first among the seven cities participating in China’s Seven Cities Project to pass 100% smokefree legislation. This project is supported jointly by The Union with a Bloomberg Initiative grant and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). In addition to banning smoking in indoor venues, Harbin’s new law also prevents these places from obtaining exceptions to the law or having smoking rooms or areas. This is the most stringent smokefree legislation at the local level in China to date, as well as being the first legislation there to be in line with Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which calls for the protection from exposure to tobacco smoke.

With no nationwide tobacco control legislation or smokefree legislation in place, Harbin’s enactment of the smokefree legislation is considered a milestone for tobacco control in China. The legislation will set an example for the other six cities in The Union-supported project, as well as in other local jurisdictions in China.

The Health Bureau is now working with the City Government on developing detailed guidelines for the legislation., A condition permitting a grace period for restaurants and hotels is being debated by the City Government, upon the request of the People’s Congress. The legislation was scheduled to be submitted to the Provincial People’s Congress for approval in early June. They will determine when the legislation takes effect. Although the legislation is not considered final until the Provincial People’s Congress approves, this is a formality for administrative purposes.

The China Tobacco Control Legal Working Group, which supported Harbin’s efforts, celebrated its one-year anniversary on World No Tobacco Day. The Working Group has been instrumental in promoting legislation both nationally and locally. It also played a critical role in drafting the report “Tobacco Control and the Future of China”, which detailed China’s progress in implementing FCTC. In addition to its work with Harbin, the Working Group continues to support the work being done in the six remaining cities involved in the Seven Cities Project.