Beijing public smoking ban begins

Public smoking in China's capital, Beijing, is now banned after the introduction of a new law, the BBC reports.

China has over 300 million smokers and over a million Chinese people die from smoking-related illnesses every year.

Smoking bans already existed in China, but have largely failed to crack down on the habit.

These tougher regulations ban lighting up in restaurants, offices and on public transport in Beijing. Thousands of inspectors will enforce the rules.