Individuals spitting or dropping cigarette butts in public venues in Guangzhou will be subject to fines beginning Saturday as part of local measures aimed at preventing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
In accordance with a regulation on the management of environmental sanitation, which took effect on May 10, spitting, disposing of chewing gum, rubbish and cigarette butts, urinating in public places and dropping or dumping containers of water from high-rises are prohibited.
Violators will face fines of up to 50 yuan (US$6) and will be ordered to clean up their mess. Improper disposal of waste will be fined 200 yuan (about US$24).
The city has dispatched over 1,000 sanitary workers to patrol the streets to enforce the regulation.
The move by Guangzhou, one of the areas worst-hit by SARS in China, is designed to help local residents cultivate good habits and prevent the transmission of SARS, said a local government official.
(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2003)
