On November 25, 2020, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) sued three defendants in a civil public interest litigation in a dispute over liability for indoor tobacco control environmental pollution, which was heard in the Intermediate People's Court of Baoding, Hebei Province.

This case is the first public interest litigation case involving tobacco control in indoor public places in China. The incident involved the public environmental interests of shopping malls with children as the theme and had a significant social impact. The trial was conducted in the form of a seven-person collegiate panel. Xinxiang Environmental Protection Volunteer Association, as the co-plaintiff, Xintan Health Development Research Center, Beijing Tobacco Control Association, and Shenzhen Tobacco Control Association supported the prosecution by appearing in court or issuing written opinions.

During the trial, the CBCGDF submitted an environmental damage appraisal report issued by an institution with judicial appraisal qualifications, and also hired authoritative tobacco control experts to testify in court. The plaintiff and the defendant presented evidence and cross-examined key issues such as "whether setting up smoking rooms constitute pollution to the indoor air quality of shopping malls", and respectively expressed their opinions on debate.

CBCGDF will continue to follow up on this case and publish reports.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

By / Maggie

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http://www.cbcgdf.org/English/ConfirmDonaTion/0.html