The Health Bureau (SSM) said yesterday that it is planning to implement a smoking ban on the pavements in Alameda Dr. Carlos D’Assumpção, the two-way avenue outside Dr. Carlos D’Assumpção Park in Nape, next year on a pilot basis.
Lam Chong, who heads the bureau’s Tobacco and Alcohol Prevention and Control Office, made the remarks when attending a current affairs phone-in programme yesterday hosted by Ou Mun Tin Toi, the Chinese-language radio channel of public broadcaster TDM.
Lam said that as the smoking ban will be implemented on a pilot basis first, violators will not be fined, and instead they will be urged by anti-smoking inspectors not to smoke while walking on the pavements in the avenue. Lam stated that the pilot project aims to gather opinions from civil society regarding the bureau’s plan to ban smoking on pavements adjacent to certain streets deemed suitable for the smoking ban.
In Macau, smoking is banned in all indoor public venues and facilities, except smoking lounges in casinos and at the airport.
In addition, smoking is also prohibited at certain outdoor public venues such as public parks and gardens, public beaches, footbridges, pedestrian underpasses, as well as an area within 10 metres of all public bus stops.
Illegal smoking carries a fixed fine of 1,500 patacas.
According to Macau’s anti-smoking law, the Health Bureau can also designate certain other outdoor public venues as no-smoking zones in addition to those listed by this law. Since November 24 this year, smoking has been banned in outdoor areas within 10 metres of entrances of three schools and a creche on a permanent basis. Those violating the smoking ban will be fined 1,500 patacas.
The bureau indicated earlier this year that it was studying the feasibility of setting up no-smoking zones in more outdoor public areas with dense pedestrian flows.
This undated file photo shows pedestrians walking on the pavement in Alameda Dr. Carlos D’Assumpção in Nape. – Photo courtesy of TDM
