Get Smoking! |
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| By Peter Foster |
| Beijing |
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| LOCAL government officials in | according to the local |
| China have been ordered to smoke | government’s website. |
| nearly a quarter of a million | The edict, which flies in the |
| packets of cigarettes to boost the | face of national anti-smoking |
| local economy during the global | policies from Beijing, is aimed at |
| financial crisis. | boosting tax revenues. In total, |
| The edict, issued by officials in | officials have been ordered to puff |
| Hubei province in central China, | their way through 230,000 packets |
| threatens to fine officials who ‘fail | of Hubei-branded cigarettes worth |
| to meet their targets’ or are caught | £400,000. |
| smoking rival brands manufactured | Local authorities are taking the |
| in neighbouring provinces. | cigarette quota seriously and have |
| Even local schools have been | established a ‘special task force’ to |
| issued with a smoking quota for | enforce it. One teacher was |
| teachers, while one village was | reportedly given an official warning |
| ordered to buy 400 cartons of | after a spot check found rival brand |
| cigarettes a year for its officials, | cigarette butts in an ashtray. |
| |
| The Daily Telegraph |
