China's train experience would only improve with total smoking ban

Nowadays a trip to China isn't complete without an experience aboard China's high-speed trains, or China Railway High-Speed, a proud national brand name bearing witness to how China has emerged confident and triumphant following 40 years of reform and opening-up. The Chinese are particularly proud of how CRH trains run faster, quieter and smoother than Japan's flagship Shinkansen trains.

As a non-smoker particularly sensitive to the unpleasant smell of cigarettes, and one concerned about the effects of secondhand smoke in the environment, I'd also like to give credit to CRH for its complete onboard smoking ban. In contrast, Japan's Shinkansen does provide onboard smoking rooms. Therefore, at least on the surface, it'd seem that China's CRH is doing a much better job on ensuring a complete smoke-free environment than its Japanese rival.

The reality is much more nuanced, though. My personal experience with Shinkansen is you won't smell the odor of cigarettes unless you are standing right in front of the smoking room. Even when you are standing right in front of the room, you'd only be affected by the smell temporarily, when the smoking room door slides open. This fact, I assume, is the result of rather solid air ventilation design aboard the Shinkansen train.

Of course, without smoking rooms aboard the CRH train, you won't smell smoke at all. However, the caveat is when you are on the train platform, which is inevitable since you have to either board the train or disembark, it's almost certain you will encounter many smokers. In all the major stations that host high-speed trains, it's always crowded, and that means a terribly strong smoking odor on the train platform. In contrast, the train platform is totally smoke-free in Japan. Therefore, the end result is that, as a non-smoker, you'd feel terrible riding China's CRH, but you'd feel much better off when traveling with Japan's Shinkansen. In addition, it's also worth noting Japan's smoke-free environment applies both to Shinkansen high-speed and general train platforms.

China's train experience can only get better with a complete smoking ban on train platforms. The reason is much more than national pride when competing with China's eastern neighbor. Rather, the real reason lies in how much China cares about people's health and their right to not be harmed by secondhand smoke.

I'd strongly recommend the smoking ban cover not only train platforms that host CRH high-speed trains. To be comprehensive, effective, and protective enough, the ban must cover all train platforms that receive both CRH high-speed trains and regular trains. China's train stations have long received complaints for crowdedness, dirtiness and chaos that can drive travelers mad. If such problems cannot be resolved any time soon, which is understandable given the huge numbers of travelers China's railway system has to accommodate, the health hazard caused by smoking can at least be dealt with rather quickly.

In addition to train platforms, I'd also talk a bit about the trains themselves. The concerning fact that only CRH high-speed trains in China are smoke-free makes me doubt the seriousness of the authorities when it comes to protecting the health of all travelers, instead of only those affluent travelers who opt for CRH service. Given such, I'd also strongly recommend the smoking ban be imposed on all trains.

Let's hope China's train experience can be much better and healthier — not only for those foreigners who are eager to see one of contemporary China's most amazing achievements, but also for the 1.4 billion Chinese countrymen who demand their right to health to be well-protected.

The author is a Beijing-based consultant working on international development issues, covering public health, clean energy and poverty reduction.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.