About 300m Chinese, or one in four, smoke every day. This proportion(比例) has remained steady in recent years; efforts to publicise(宣传) the dangers have been half-hearted(敷衍的). This year, however, may see improvements. On June 1st stricter rules will be enforced on smoking in public places in Beijing, including bars, offices, stadiums and some outdoor areas such as those of hospitals and schools. Fines(罚款) for failing to keep such places smoke-free could be as high as 10,000 yuan ($1,600); for smokers who break the rules, they could be up to 200 yuan. Cigarette advertising and tobacco-company sponsorships (赞助商)of events will also be banned. Similar measures are included in a draft, published in November, of new national regulations on smoking.