The Shanghai municipal government has begun recruiting about 20,000 volunteers to help enforce the tighter regulations against smoking in public places that will take effect on March 1.

Those coming forth are from all walks of life, including students, restaurant workers, security guards and government employees in the municipality's 18 districts and counties. Each district or county is required to set up an anti-smoking team of 1,000 volunteers.

The Shanghai municipal government has begun recruiting about 20,000 volunteers to help enforce the tighter regulations against smoking in public places that will take effect on March 1.

"We've just started recruiting," said an officer of the Shanghai Health Promotion Commission, which set up the program to recruit volunteers.

"We expect we will have enough volunteers at our disposal to keep transgressors out of the enlarged non-smoking zones under the new regulations," said the unnamed officer.

The primary and only criterion for the volunteers is that he or she has to be a non-smoker or, at least, someone who has the discipline to not smoke in public places, the officer said.

The first phase of the recruitment drive will focus on candidates who work at places where smoking is banned, such as schools and hospitals.

"We also wish to recruit more people who work in restaurants, because they are likely to come in contact with people who may be unaware of the new regulations," the officer added.

According to the new regulations, smoking will be prohibited on public transportation, as well as in elementary and secondary schools, hospitals, stadiums, shopping malls, supermarkets, Internet cafes, libraries, theaters, museums and elevators.

Other public places, such as restaurants, hotels and karaoke clubs, are required to set up a separate non-smoking area.

The owners of establishments that fail to comply with the regulations will face a fine ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 yuan for each offence, while smokers who ignore the warnings and light up in banned areas can expect to be fined at least 50 yuan.