Laws limit surgery

"If approved, the regulation will be the first rule that has addressed the issue of plastic surgery for under-18s in China," said Zhao Yin, a lawyer who specializes in medical cases at Zhonglun W&D Law Firm in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

She hopes Guangzhou's pending regulations will be approved and adopted across the country to promote the healthy development of the cosmetic surgery industry.

"The legislation may attract some objections and be the source of some dissatisfaction among non-medical beauty salons as their business may be hit," she said.

"Juveniles are some of their major clients, together with women in their 40s and 50s, especially in Guangzhou, where cosmetic surgery is well established, as the city is in one of the country's most economically developed areas."

The government has urged the public to submit opinions about the draft revision before Nov 15.

Yang said that a draft will be submitted to the Guangzhou people's congress by the end of this year, and he expects the regulations to come into effect in the first half of 2013.

He and his panel are ready for a heated debate with the public on the regulations.

"People might argue that the government shouldn't interfere in their choice of lifestyle or their right to pursue beauty," Yang said.

For example, the previous version of the draft used to forbid juveniles from getting tattoos, which led to a public debate in June when the government told the media about the plan.

"We later decided not to include tattoos on the banned list, as it is relatively less risky compared to plastic surgery, such as breast implants," Yang said.

Guangzhou's proposed regulations to protect young people also address other hot issues. For example, the regulations require parents and guardians to prioritize the security of the juvenile in the event of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, typhoon and flood, or an accident, such as a car crash.

When an earthquake hit Sichuan province in 2008, high school teacher Fan Meizhong left his students in the classroom and ran for his life to the playground. He then openly talked about what he did without displaying any guilt for his actions. His behavior caused an uproar among the general public.

Contact the writers at [email protected] and [email protected]