Health ministry, WHO launch campaign on smoke-free restaurants and hotels in Hanoi
The Vietnamese health ministry along with the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Vietnam on April 3 launched a campaign to encourage smoke-free restaurants and hotels in Hanoi.
(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) ൲— 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./.
An online contest on tobacco harm prevention was launched across Vietnam from now till May 31 to celebrate World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and National No Tobacco Week 2020 (May 25-31).
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The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
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A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
(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) 
