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• Public smoking ban starts soon  

In 10 days time the ban on smoking in public spaces, approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, will take effect, but many people still have no idea about the new regulation.

Le Sang from Thanh Xuan District said that smoking was a habit that formed over many years, making it impossible to quit immediately. The ban cannot take effect if it does not allow people time to quit smoking, he added.

Nguyen Van Duong, a motorbike-taxi driver at Ha Noi's Giap Bat Station, said he hadn't heard about the ban. However, he believed it would be ineffective because thousands of passengers passed through the station each day and inspectors couldn't punish everyone.

"I have been a cigarette smoker for 20 years. Cigarette addicts like me find it difficult to give up, unless we have gags over our mouths," said Duong.

Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Bich of the Viet Nam Public Health Association said that in order for the ban to be effective, all people must be informed through an organised mass media campaign and other activities held by local authorities.

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