Implementing regulations on implementing no-smoking areas

Nghe An bridge point attended the workshop. Photo: Thanh Chung

On May 11, 2023, the Ministry of Health issued Circular 11/2023/TT-BYT regulating the implementation of smoking-free areas.cigaretteand consider awarding tobacco-free environment awards. The Circular takes effect on August 1, 2023. The Circular stipulates the following places where smoking is prohibited:

Places where smoking is completely prohibited indoors and within the premises include: Medical facilities; educational facilities; childcare, nurturing, entertainment and recreation facilities specifically for children; facilities or areas with high risk of fire and explosion as prescribed in Decree 136/2020/ND-CP.

Places where smoking is completely prohibited indoors: Indoor workplaces of state administrative agencies, public service units, enterprises, political organizations, socio-political organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations and workplaces of other agencies, organizations and units.

Indoor areas of public places such as food service establishments, entertainment service establishments, train stations, wharves, bus stations, religious and belief establishments, conference centers, shopping centers, markets, theaters, cultural houses, cinemas, circuses, clubs, sports arenas, stadiums, community activity houses and common living areas of apartment buildings and other public places.

Smoking is completely prohibited on public transport, including cars, airplanes, and trains. Places where smoking is prohibited indoors but designated areas for smokers are allowed include airport isolation areas; bars, karaoke bars, and nightclubs; hotels, motels, guesthouses, resorts, and other tourist accommodation establishments; and public transport including ships and trains.

Many people are not aware of the harmful effects of tobacco and smoke freely in prohibited areas. Photo: Document

In addition, for these places where smoking is prohibited, there are common requirements: Place, print, arrange signs or symbols with the content of no smoking. Signs must ensure the message content is clear, easy to understand, concise; the sign material is durable, hard to fade; signs placed outdoors can withstand the impact of the external environment; the size and font size of the sign are suitable for the location and space where the sign is placed; bold, easy to read; the color of the letters and symbols contrast with the background color. Signs placed in public places in conditions of insufficient light must have reflectors or sign lighting or other suitable forms to ensure visibility.

The placement of signs must ensure that the distance between signs is appropriate to the scale and space of each location; place signs in easy-to-observe locations, areas with a lot of people passing by; entrance gates to campus areas, outdoor parking areas; for indoor areas, place them at the entrance, front hall, reception area, waiting seats, floors of stairs, in elevators, covered corridors, garages, restrooms, etc. No ashtrays, smoking utensils, cigarette butts and ashes in non-smoking areas.

After the Circular was issued, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Official Dispatch No. 3712/UBND-VX on the implementation of Circular No. 11/2023/TT-BYT dated May 11, 2023 of the Ministry of Health to departments, branches, provincial-level units and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns. The People's Committee of the province requested units based on their functions and tasks to seriously and effectively implement Circular 11.

Previously, the People's Committee of Nghe An province also issued Official Dispatch No. 3543/UBND-VX on strengthening communication about the harmful effects ofelectronic cigarettes, heated tobacco, shisha; inspect and strictly handle cases of trading in electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco.

The Provincial People's Committee requests the Department of Industry and Trade, the Market Management Department, the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns and functional agencies to strengthen inspection and strictly handle cases of buying, selling and trading electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and shisha that are not yet licensed for import, trading and circulation in Vietnam.