A proposal to ban smoking in all indoor public places is on the anvil in Hong Kong. The plan includes a complete ban on smoking in offices, shops, factories and restaurants, with managers empowered to enforce the prohibition. But Jimmy Yuen, a consultant for Hong Kong's occupational safety and health council, has doubts about its implementation. He says: "Smoking in restaurants is already partially restricted. But enforcement is not satisfactory. Therefore, it is important to sort out these problems before implementing the new plans.' He even questioned the ability of the managers to enforce the ban.

Hong Kong has no legislation to regulate smoking in indoor workplaces. A survey by the census and statistics department recently found that around 733,000 employees in Hong Kong are exposed to passive smoking.