Unlike the became fashionable SARS masks, designer anti-smog nasal air filters are going to be a tough sell. In an effort to protect police officers in the Songjiang district of Shanghai, the department has issued the anti-smog nasal air filters to all traffic police. From the Guardian:

“The department decided to provide nasal filters – which it called ‘invisible masks’ – because unlike traditional masks they would not hinder officers from shouting and blowing whistles. A sequence of heavily polluted days in January, dubbed the ‘airpocalypse’ has transformed public attitudes towards the thick smog bedevilling many of China’s major cities.”

Here’s a suggestion for anyone traveling through Shanghai: if a police officer pulls you aside and speaks to you haltingly, don’t mimic them. It’s not easy to only breathe in through your nose and have a conversation. [Guardian]