Over 600 people prosecuted for smoking in prohibited areas

A total of 646 people have been accused of breaching the Tobacco Prevention and Control Law by smoking in prohibited areas throughout Macau in January, the Health Bureau revealed this week. A total of 24,799 people have been accused of breaching the tobacco legislation since it came into force.
The Health Bureau said in a statement that officers had conducted 709,983 inspections at different areas and places in the city since the law came into force on January 31, 2012.
A great portion of offenders in January were male (92.1 percent) and Macau residents (63.6 percent).
Regarding the areas in which authorities have recorded more infractions, Internet cafés (18 percent) and games arcades (16.9 percent) are at the top of the list, followed by parks and leisure areas, where 94 cases were recorded (14.6 percent).
Figures released by the Health Bureau show that only 68.7 percent of the offenders (444) have paid their fines since the beginning of January.
The Health Bureau and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) joined efforts to conduct a total of 37 inspections to casinos. 34 individuals were caught breaching the law. 33 offenders were male, while there was only one female offender. Twenty-four people accused of smoking in prohibited areas were tourists and 10 were Macau residents.
In January, DICJ received a total of 374 telephone calls, 245 of which relate to information requests, 111 are complaints and 39 regard suggestions presented by citizens.
The Health Bureau explained that when residents make a complaint, DICJ will take note of it and act accordingly. Regardless of the situation, only the offender will be prosecuted.
The bureau announced last month that it is aiming to implement a full smoking ban in Macau’s casinos. This would mean that smoking would be prohibited not only on mass gaming floors, but also within VIP rooms. Current smoking lounges would also be forced to close if the bill is approved.