China's rubber-stamp parliament has passed legislation that heavily restricts tobacco advertising in public, strengthening efforts to curb smoking in a country where more than a billion people are smokers or exposed to second-hand smoke.

A revised Advertisement Law approved on Friday by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, bans tobacco ads in the mass media, in public places, on public vehicles and outdoors, its official news agency, Xinhua, reported.

Smoking is a major health crisis for China. More than 300 million people have made cigarettes part of the social fabric, and Xinhua said another 740 million people are exposed to second-hand smoke.