BEIJING is considering a ban（禁令） on smoking in public areas including Olympic venues（比赛场馆） during next year’s Olympic Games, local media has reported.

　　The Beijing Daily said that according to a draft regulation（草案） on tobacco-free Games（无烟奥运会） from the municipal government, smoking would be prohibited（禁止） in areas such as venues, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, public transport and the Olympic Village. Offenders（违反者） will face a fine of 10 yuan. But special smoking areas can be set aside（留出） in those places, the newspaper added.

　　The concept of a “non-smoking” Olympic Games was initiated（倡议） in 1988 and put into practice in Barcelona, Spain in 1992. But it is an arduous（艰巨的） task in Beijing. It is estimated（据估计） that 350 million people, about 26 percent of the country’s people are smokers. Beijing’s Vice-Mayor（副市长） Liu Jingmin suggested in March that smoking be prohibited at major Olympic venues including the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center（国家游泳中心）. Liu also serves as the executive vice-president of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee（北京奥组委).

　　Other host cities are also taking similar steps of their own. Olympic regatta（奥帆赛）host Qingdao is expected to ban tobacco advertising next year. Hong Kong, where the equestrian（马术） events will be held, recently outlawed（宣告非法） indoor smoking.