From the NY Times AP reporting:

A ban on smoking in most Beijing public places, similar to efforts in major North American, European and Asian cities, is expected to take effect in May, aimed at meeting China's pledge of a smoke-free Olympics.

China is home to 350 million smokers -- a third of the global total. ...

''There's no way it will work!'' said Jin Xianchun, a co-owner of Little Jin's Seafood Restaurant, where diners were smoking up a storm as they chose live fish and shrimp from tanks. ''Of course it will affect my business ... We will try our best to enforce, it but really....'' She shook her head.

Cigarettes are woven into Chinese daily life. They're an icebreaker, a way of greeting a friend, and a means of bribery. A night out typically means a good meal and cigarettes paired with baijiu, a clear sorghum liquor with a vicious kick.

Vicious kick - Ummm, ... OK.  Like drinking grain alcohol, can we say Everclear ... I knew you could!

I'll stick with Qingdao (or Tsing Dao or however we spell it!) - actually, I most often stick with Carlsberg or California red wines - yes, easily purchased here in Jia Ding!  (or down on Dagu Road across from the Mediterranean bakery - smile)!  I actually avoid certain restaurants at prime eating times because of smoking.

Can we also say vested interests?!!?

Almost 2 trillion cigarettes are sold every year, at prices as low as 1.50 yuan ($0.20) for a pack of 20, complete with a discreet warning on the side of the box that says ''Smoking is harmful to your health.'' The government estimates 1 million Chinese die smoking-related deaths annually -- projected to double by 2020.

The new rules, which were announced in state media Saturday, expand the scope to include restaurants, bars, hotels, offices, vacation resorts and all indoor areas of medical facilities, according to a draft released earlier this year.

''The problem is that there are commercial interests that make it hard,'' said Sarah England, who heads the tobacco control department of the WHO's Beijing office. She means the state-run tobacco industry, which made $53.6 billion last year, up 25 percent from a year earlier.