Implement smoke-free environments in restaurants

According to the global survey on tobacco use among adults in Vietnam, restaurants are one of the places affected by tobacco use.smokethe most, with 80.7%.

No matter what time it is - morning, noon, afternoon and evening, at many restaurants, bars, karaoke bars and entertainment venues, you will see customers carelessly singing.smokeat the dining table, at the singing place. One thing that is easy to see is that in most restaurants and eateries, people keep eating, people keep drinking, and cigarette smoke still billows.

In most eateries and restaurants, cigarette smoke still billows. Illustrative photo

Many people still believe that eating, drinking and sipping a glass of wine, out of habit, must be accompanied by a cigarette. For them, if there is no cigarette,cigaretteAlong with that, eating and drinking also do not taste good, feel "very bland".

And there are many men, as a “habit”, when gathering to eat and drink, especially drinking coffee, they must have a pack of cigarettes to offer each other and to make the conversation more lively. Most of them, when asked, affirmed that it is not an addiction, but a habit!

It is known that most smokers understand quite well the harmful effects of cigarette smoke, direct smoking, and passive smoking, but when it comes to quitting smoking and not smoking in public places such as restaurants and eateries, most of them are hesitant and lack determination.

According to a restaurant owner: “Smoking is a personal need and it is difficult for restaurants to ban it. When customers come to a restaurant, they want to be served attentively, comfortably eat, chat, and express their personal preferences. If we do not please our customers, the next day they will go somewhere else because there are many restaurants and eateries constantly opening in the area”...

According to an incomplete survey, the number of restaurants and eateries with no-smoking signs in Nghe An can be counted on one hand. Restaurants and eateries with signs saying “Please do not smoke”, “No smoking”, “No smoking”… are usually small spaces with luxurious and modern rooms, mainly serving fast food and foreign dishes such as Japanese, Korean, Asian and European dishes.

According to the waiters at these restaurants, most of the customers who come here strictly follow the regulations, while a few do not pay attention or forget, and when reminded by the staff, they put out their cigarettes or go outside to smoke before coming back in. Thus, implementing a smoke-free environment in restaurants and eateries can still be achieved if all business people are united and determined.

In today's life, most of the time, when socializing, meeting, gathering, celebrating, eating, etc., people choose restaurants and eateries to organize. Therefore, the health sector encourages restaurants and eateries to implement smoke-free policies. The solution to reduce the harmful effects of cigarette smoke on non-smokers is to promote propaganda and widely disseminate in many forms to all classes of people about the harmful effects of tobacco use and the benefits of implementing a smoke-free environment...

If implemented seriously and widely, it will bring benefits in protecting a clean environment, reducing the risk of illness and death for people when passively exposed to cigarette smoke. The authorities also need to take strong action, including actively promoting the prevention of the harmful effects of tobacco in general and the implementation of the smoke-free restaurant and eatery model in particular./.