There have been 3,418 smoking-related infractions in public places during the first half of this year, according to a statement by the Health Bureau. During this time, 161,880 inspections were performed, amounting to an average of 889 inspections per day.
The majority 92.2 percent of infringers were male, compared to the 7.8 percent that were female.
Sixty one percent of the offenders were Macau residents (2,086), over one thousand were tourists, and the remaining 4.5 percent were non-resident workers (153). In 129 of the cases security forces were involved.
The locations where most fines were issued were internet cafes (611 cases, 17.8 percent), gardens/parks/recreational areas (438 cases, 12.8 percent) and games centers (337 cases, 9.9 percent).
During the same time frame, the Health Bureau and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau conducted 277 tobacco-related inspections in casinos resulting in 277 offenses, of which 259 (93.5 percent) were male and 17 (6.5 percent) were female. 224 (80.9 percent) were tourists, 52 (18.8 percent) were Macau residents and one (0.4 percent) was a non-resident worker.
From January 2 to June 30, the Office for the Prevention and Tobacco Control received 1,557 calls resulting in 450 smoking-related inquiries, 1,090 complaints and 134 suggestions from residents.
In June, the Health Bureau marked 105 sites as having a higher incidence of smoking. Law enforcement officers carried out 154 inspections and issued 51 fines at these sites.
692 inspections per day
Since the Tobacco Prevention and Control Act came into effect on January 1, 2012, authorities have conducted a total of 1,137,404 inspections. This represents an average of 692 inspections per day. 34,570 people have been fined for smoking in designated smoke-free areas.
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