Sichuan residents salty over bacon smoking ban

The burning of fresh cypress branches, the wood primarily used to smoke bacon, produces soot that seriously affects air quality and the environment. - PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH via The Straits Times/ANN

BAZHONG, China: A ban on smoking bacon in homes and public spaces by the authorities from a county in China’s Sichuan province, citing concerns about air pollution, has sparked controversy among some residents who have questioned the scientific evidence behind the move.

The Tongjiang county government in Bazhong city issued a notice on Nov 15 banning the smoking of bacon in agricultural markets, in residential buildings, on balconies and rooftops and along roadsides and riversides in urban areas. Residents are also prohibited from building private facilities to smoke meat.