Smoke-free law implementation in Vietnamese restaurants, hotels, and hospitals

A 2013 law prohibits smoking in public places in Vietnam. This includes restaurants, hotels, and hospitals. Requirements include the posting of no smoking signs in places where smoking is not allowed and the enforcement of specific prohibitions.

To better understand the knowledge of smoke-free laws, current implementation practices and experience with government enforcement visits, we interviewed 36 owners, managers, or administrators of restaurants, hotels, and hospitals. We also asked for recommendations to improve implementation of smoke-free laws.

The study found differing levels of knowledge of the law along across participants with some resistance to fining customers or patients. Many recommended clarity on who could issue fines and how they are collected in addition to better public communication on specifics of the law.