Hong Kong authorities will ramp up inspections at bus stops and tourist spots starting on Thursday, when new rules banning smoking while queuing or near designated facilities take effect.
While some residents told the Post on Wednesday that they were aware of the new measures, visitors in Tsim Sha Tsui said they were not but would comply.
Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office head Manny Lam Man-chung said that the move aimed to enforce new smoking control measures and raise public awareness.
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Officers will issue penalty tickets to smokers who fail to observe the new rules, but will be more lenient in certain marginal cases, according to Lam.
“If smokers are clearly standing within three metres of an entrance, we will issue penalty tickets immediately … for those who are unaware, just passing by, or standing on the boundary of the area, we will first give them advice or a warning,” Lam told a radio show.
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He added that the office would contact the managers of designated premises if a need arose to increase signage during future inspections.