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· Smokefree Policies
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· Vietnam
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Children are especially at risk when breathing cigarette smoke. A number of smoking bans have been passed recently but are not effective enough.
Jump to full article: Vietnam Net, 2009-01-31
Intro: "I can’t stand this anymore. They are being cruel not just to me, but also to my baby," said 25-year old Nguyen Thu Trang.
This scene is all too common, playing out in public places all over Viet Nam.
A number of smoking bans have been passed by the Government and relevant ministries. However these bans dictate neither a specific punishment nor which authorities are responsible for punishing infractions, said Nguyen Ba Bo, a judge of the Central Military Court.
In May 2007, the Prime Minister released a directive which banned smoking in public places like schools, health centres/hospitals, production centres, public transportation, libraries, bus stations, railway stations, airports, ports and indoor entertainment centres. . . .
However, none of these documents suggest how and who should fine the violators, said Bo.
Directive No 45, which was signed by the Prime Minister, is the only legal document which stipulates that fines between VND50,000-100,000 will be levied on people who smoke in public places.
The Government and relevant agencies need to release practical legal documents which regulate specific punishments and the agencies responsible for enforcing them, said Pham Hoang Anh, director of the HealthBridge Organisation’s representative office.
They release the documents but seem not to care if they are implemented in an effective way, said Hoang Anh.
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