Seems to be on the increase. Possibly staff seem to be less interested in keeping it under control?

I got seriously f*cked off the other day when two people were smoking, and just carried on after being told to stop.

I know this is China, and people do smoke, but have some respect for the f*cking rules at least!!!

Smokers are rude and nasty so when they do not follow the rules then reciprocate in kind and be rude to them.

There were even some smoking in McDonalds once. Make sure you insist with the staff to ask them to stop smoking. I was out having lunch in a restaurant last week with my gf and a guy and his wife started to smoke just below a No Smoking sign. Waiter was first reluctant and said that they had now stopped smoking before gf asked him what was in their hand. 30 mins later the guy lit up another one. I looked at him, he looked at me, our eyes met, and he stopped smoking. The staff usually dont like to confront people to stop smoking. If nothing works (not even telling them that they are killing you), kindly tell the culprits directly that its a foreign branded establishment and not a local one. This will usually give them a loss of face and they'll comply.

That's one of the major reasons I stop going to clubs and restaurants. I refuse to be forced to inhale second hand smoke.

Ask the management to intervene. If they don't, complain to the Starbucks China office - that'll seriously rattle their cage. And for the record, I'm a PM2.5 chimney stack, but am generally considerate of others, depending on the venue.

On the other hand - if I'm in a smoking permitted location, I'll generally NOT comply with requests to NOT smoke.

@HFCAMPO 'Smokers are rude and nasty' is a bit of a general sweeping statement to be making! I smoke and I hate those who don't follow the rules just as much as anyone, I see these places as little havens to relax once in a while without the usual smoke going on as I like to have a respite once in a while to ;o)

Man I hate smoking so much! I quit and it was one of the hardest things I ever did. And here in China it is so tough to stay strong in pubs etc cos people offer u smokes so often. So I love the ban on smoking in all public places that we have in Ireland and would love to eventually see that here.

I thought there was already a ban for smoking in public places in China? I havent seen a date for when it will be enforced though. People are still suffocating with drivers smoking in taxis.

This is china. Every second person smokes. You just have to deal with it. Nothing you can do will convince over half a billion people to stop smoking. Yeah, there are signs, but illiterate idiots aren't going to read them. Unless you're deadly allergic to smoke, why even try to fight it. The normal air outdoors is worse anyhow

It took over 40 years of campaigning in the west to get smoking bans. This was by default 40 years of public education as to the harm and various effects of smoking. We still have smokers, but they largely obey the law. Some of the main reasons pubs enforce the law is that they may loose their licences, and they already have a responsibility to enforce (the drinking) laws.

Personally, I think it is unrealistic for the habits of a lifetime to be changed with an overnight change in the law. I believe Chinese society will take time to catch up.

My 2 cents