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Lighting up one cigarette costs 5 days in detention

By Wang Jingqiong and Wang Huazhong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-31 08:24

Police in Chongqing have detained a man for five days for smoking in a wholesale market, a move they hope sets an example for others who may be tempted to break a new law.

"Before we would give them a warning or a fine, but we found that didn't work well," said police officer Xu Yuhang, who caught the 56-year-old man smoking in an evacuation stairway on Saturday.

The man, surnamed Zhao, is the first person detained under the new law, which bans people from smoking in areas considered to be a fire hazard.

"I didn't know I would be detained for smoking," Zhao said. "I regret it now."

Zhao, originally from Hubei province, was visiting his son in Jinhaimen market and had been watching his son's stall last Saturday morning.

Jinhaimen, the biggest wholesale market in Chongqing, has no-smoking signs everywhere.

Zhao's son, however, was angry, and said it was unfair to detain his father.

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"A lot of people have been smoking there. Besides, we didn't know about the new regulations. They should at least give my father a chance to know," he said.

A spokesman for Yuzhong district anti-fire department said they would continue to detain smokers.

"We tried to warn those who smoked in markets and stores, and fined each of them up to 500 yuan ($73), but people were still careless about dangerous smoking," said the spokesman, who refused to give his name.

Some citizens agree with the son that the punishment is too harsh, especially for an old man.

"If he was being very tough towards the policeman and refused to stop smoking, it would be reasonable to detain him. But he was cooperative and almost scared," said a woman surnamed Yu who has a stall in the market.

Officer Xu said they did this to remind other smokers not to follow his example.

On Aug 20, the ministry issued six new fire safety regulations, including one that police should detain people who smoke in fire hazard areas.

The regulation followed an anti-fire law that came into effect on May 1, under which those who smoke in places with risks of fire or explosion can be warned and fined. Only in severe cases should the offender be detained for no more than five days, the law states.

On Aug 2, two men in Anshan, of Liaoning province, were detained for three days after smoking in a supermarket. They had started to argue with the policemen who asked them to stop smoking.