Journalists based in the south yesterday began a two-day training course and forum on reporting and writing about the health hazards caused by tobacco use.

A survey by the organiser found that all 60 reporters who were interviewed clearly knew about the bad consequences of smoking but only half knew about the economic consequences like the cost of treating health problems caused by tobacco and death and diability of skilled workers.

Many did not know much about the Government’s policies on the prevention of tobacco use by the public.

Most of the reporters agreed that smoking could be curtailed if tobacco smuggling was stopped.

“It is a good sign for the campaign to prevent smoking that journalists are aware of the ills caused by smoking,” Dung said.

He and the attending journalists analysed several articles carried in the media and discussed their good and bad aspects.

Dung said the media had not carried many stories on preventing smoking recently and hoped more would be carried in future.

Delegates at the programme, held to support a Government decree that bans smoking in public starting on January 1, called for tightening control over tobacco production and consumption.

According to the organisers, Vietnamese journalists will get grants to attend the Asia-Pacific Conference on Tobacco and Health, or APACT, 2010 in Sydney, Australia in October this year.

They will be chosen based on a tobacco control story-writing contest to be held in Ha Noi on May 5 and 6.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News