Hong Kong - Smokers in Hong Kong were Thursday facing new spot fines of almost 200 US dollars for lighting up illegally in public. Legislators in the city of 6.9 million have passed a new law which will allow officials to issue spot fines of 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (192 US dollars) if they breach new anti-smoking rules introduced two years ago.
Three thousand officers from the city's Leisure and Cultural Services Department have also been authorized to hand out tickets alongside the existing 85 tobacco control officers.
The new crackdown, approved late Wednesday, is aimed at increasing enforcement of anti-smoking laws in Hong Kong which outlaws smoking in bars, restaurants and many public areas such as parks.
Currently, people caught smoking illegally will be ordered to appear in court where they can be fined up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (641 US dollars) although the average fine is around 700 Hong Kong dollars (89 US dollars).
Under the new spot fine system, smokers caught lighting up illegally will be issued tickets which must be paid up within 21 days.
Government figures earlier this year indicated that cigarette sales actually increased in the first year after the public smoking ban was introduced in January 2006.
Officials were Thursday working out the details of the new spot fines and no date has yet been set for their introduction, according to health minister York Chow.
Hong Kong has one of the region's lowest levels of smoking. Only around one in five male adults in the city smoke compared to between 60 and 70 per cent in neighboring mainland China.
