MORE than 93 percent of Shanghai residents support a smoking ban in indoor public areas, according to an online survey by the Shanghai Health Enhance Commission, the body that coordinates smoking control in the city.

Shanghai’s current anti-smoking law, enacted five years ago, only bans smoking in certain types of public buildings, such as primary schools, kindergartens and hospitals, while restaurants with 75 seats or more, and business areas over 150 square meters can designate smoking and non-smoking areas.

The survey on the city government’s WeChat account attracted more than 25,500 responses since its launch in the middle of last month. Over a third said owners or managers should tell smokers to quit in no-smoking areas while another third said they would take action themselves. Just 4 percent said they would call the hotline (12345).