VietNamNet Bridge - Around
40,000 people in Vietnam die because of smoking annually, equivalent to the
death cases caused by HIV/AIDS until March 2008. The figure will increase to
70,000 people a year by 2030. The risk has been warned but people still smoke,
even at public sites, where smoking is banned.

According to the Ministry of Health’s Program
against Harmful Impacts of Cigarettes, since Vietnam banned smoking at public
sites (January 1, 2010), only the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai have
fined ten violators, totaling VND1.5 million ($70).

More than 47 percent of men and 1.4 percent of women in Vietnam
smoke. There are 33 million people who are negative smokers since they live
and work in the smoking environment.

Vietnam has at least 20 million smokers who spend
VND14 trillion (US$680 million) on tobacco products every year.

Research conducted
by the Hanoi School of Public Health last year, showed that around 95 per cent
of the tobacco merchants surveyed in 10 provinces and cities in the city had
violated regulations that ban tobacco advertising and promotion as well as
sponsorships. Most of the merchants and residents said they did not know about
the regulations.

Many activities and programs have been implemented in
Vietnam
to call for people to not smoke but on the road and at public sites, people
still smoke, as in the following photos:

Dan Tri