(From left) WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park (left), Vietnamese actor Xuan Bac (second from left), owner of Cantonese restaurant San Fu Lou in Hoan Kiem district, along with Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment and Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, participate in placing no smoking signs at the restaurant. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — The Vietnamese health ministry along with the World Health Organization(WHO) office in Vietnam on April 3 launched a campaign to encourage smoke-freerestaurants and hotels in Hanoi.
Addressing the campaign,WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park said every year, 8 million peopledied from tobacco use around the world.
In Vietnam, 15 millionadults smoke while the number of passive smokers is 75 million.
Nearly 40,000 people dieeach year in the country from tobacco use along with about 6,000 casualtiesfrom secondhand smoking, the WHO official said, urging an end to “the deaths ofthese blameless victims” of passive smoking.
“WHO called upon you tobegin this with implementing smoke-free restaurants and hotels, which includesimple acts such as placing no smoking signs at visible areas of hotels andrestaurants,” the WHO representative told restaurant and hotel owners.
Inspections from lawenforcement units would surely result in a higher compliance rate, he added.
Luong Ngoc Khue, head ofthe Health Ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment andDirector of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, said a smoke-free tourismenvironment is an effective way to realise people’s right to breatheclean air.
However, smoke-freemeasures in hotels and restaurants must be carried out more fully, as mostowners are not paying due attention to anti-smoking regulations.
According to a 2020study conducted by the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, the rate of secondhandsmoking in these establishments remains high – with 80 percent of customersexposed to smoking in restaurants, and 65 percent in hotels, the Vietnamesehealth official noted.
About 200 restaurantsand hotels in the capital city are expected to join the campaign./.
