NDO – Hanoi has been urged to set up non-smoking areas around its iconic tourist attractions, such as Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature.

The suggestion was made by Assoc. Prof., Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Head of the Health Ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment and Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF), at a conference held in Hanoi on October 26, to review the fund’s operation during 2017-2018 and its future plans for the 2019-2020 period.

According to Dr. Khue, if the capital city deploys the plan in the pedestrian space around Hoan Kiem Lake, especially on the weekends, it would not only bring a civilised new face for the city but also make it become more conducive to domestic and foreign tourists.

According to him, it is necessary for Hanoi to build a number of signs on tobacco harm prevention in the pedestrian areas, or put information on tobacco harm reduction on the LED screens. Building smoking spots so smokers do not affect visitors and ensuring the lake is without cigarette butts are also important, he added.

Similarly, Khue also expressed his wish that the Temple of Literature – Vietnam’s first university – should deploy strong measures to curb tobacco smoke.

Currently, multiple Vietnamese tourist cities have turned into smoke-free tourist cities, such as Hoi An, Hue, Ha Long, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, plus a range of public agencies, offices, hospitals, hotels and restaurants across the nation have effectively implemented smoke-free regulations.

Khue revealed that the VNTCF will coordinate with other stakeholders to grant smoke-free labels for hospitals, restaurants and hotels in the near future to recognise their contributions in the prevention of tobacco harm to protect public health.

 

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