A Chinese lawmaker estimates that 600 million of his countrymen are exposed to secondhand smoke, Xinhua reported March 3.

Chen Guiyen, a deputy of the 10th National People's Congress, is calling for a nationwide ban on smoking in indoor public spaces. "According to my estimation based on a survey, nearly 600 million Chinese suffer from passive smoking, which occurs in 71 percent of Chinese households, 32.5 percent of public places, and 25 percent of working places," Chen said. "It is imperative to create a no-smoking social environment and enhance the self-protection awareness of nonsmokers."

One of every three smokers in the world lives in China. The biggest victims of secondhand smoke are women and children; Chen said that up to 70 percent of professional women ages 20-49 in China are exposed to secondhand smoke, for instance.

Chinese airlines have banned smoking, but it remains prevalent in most restaurants, movie theaters, offices, and in railway stations, despite posted "no smoking" signs.