It's a very good news that they are banning cigarette smoking in public places in Luang Prabang. Hope this will be the beginning of a campaign to discourage smoking in public places, and even smoking itself in all cities in Laos, especially in the capital and among young people before they become depending on it and hard to quit. The health consequences and cost due to smoking are enormous, including not only lung cancer, heart diseases, birth defects and mental problems among kids from smoking mothers or passively exposed mothers. The developed world knows this all along and do their best to discourage smoking in their home countries. Some big tobacco companies now see the developing world as convenient new places where they can keep making billions by exporting their toxins. Developing world, and especially Asia, is their primary target for conquest.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/300607_News/30Jun2007_news07.php
SMOKERS NOT WELCOME IN LUANG PRABANG
Cigarettes put historic sites, status at risk
Story by APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
Luang Prabang has become the first World Heritage city to ban smoking in public places.
Eye-catching red and white posters, stickers and mobiles carrying anti-smoking messages both in English and Lao have been put up in every corner, from tourist attractions like the historic Xiangthong temple to accommodation and retail shops of this serene city on the Mekong River in Laos since May 30, World No Tobacco Day.
Apart from health reasons, Luang Prabang residents believe the smoke-free policy will enable them to better conserve the city's historic sites, such as the huen moradok, or colonial-style mansions that were built when the country was still under French rule.
Scientific studies have found that cigarettes appear to pose as much danger to the historic landmarks as human health.
The city's residents say some of the ancient buildings have been reduced to ashes over the past few years in cigarette-related fire accidents caused by the carelessness of smokers, who had dropped burning cigarette butts on the floor and ignited the fires.
]An old lady selling flowers in front of Wat Xiangthong, a major Luang Prabang landmark, has put a no-smoking sign up near her stall in front of the temple entrance to inform tourists that smoking is prohibited in this World Heritage city. — Photo courtesy of SOUTHEAST ASIA TOBACCO CONTROL ALLIANCE
"Second-hand cigarette smoke is also harmful to the health of non-smokers. We want to make sure no more damage is done to the beautiful and ancient buildings that are still standing and housing rich architectural work out of someone's carelessness, as that could see Luang Prabang being stripped of its World Heritage status one day," said Bungon Ritthiphakdee, coordinator of Southeast Asian Tobacco Alliance, a non-governmental organisation advocating the anti-smoking project.
The organisation played an active role in drafting the "Tobacco Free Luang Prabang" regulation which prohibits smoking in both indoor and outdoor areas of tourist spots and temples, state offices and public transport.
Any hotels, guesthouses and restaurants which still permit smoking are now required to arrange designated smoking areas for their guests.
According to a public opinion poll conducted by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), 96.7% of respondents, including local residents and business operators, agreed with the smoke-free campaign.
About 59% of restaurant operators also agreed to give the campaign a boost.
"In general, most locals dislike cigarettes and second-hand smoke. But they think it is impolite to ask their guests to refrain from smoking. So having this regulation in place helps them greatly. It is good for their health, business and the World Heritage city at the same time," said Maniphan Vongphosy, researcher at ADRA. Although the Lao government has had the smoke-free policy in place since 2000, which bans smoking in schools, hospitals, government offices, restaurants and other public places, enforcement was weak.
In order to raise public awareness, anti-smoking activists and the government co-hosted a mini-marathon to campaign for tobacco-free zones on May 30. More than 600 officials, students and local people took part in it. Daeng Boonkamtip, a staff member of the Le Tam Tam guesthouse, said the place has always allowed its guests to smoke since it opened five years ago.
"But now the time has arrived to ban it. The strong smell of second-hand smoke is unacceptable, especially in a small place like ours. Cigarette smoke makes it difficult to breathe during work. More importantly, it drives away non-smoking guests," said Daeng, who also attended the campaign activities on May 30.
Kongchan Kommavong, vice-chairman of the Luang Prabang Tobacco Control Task Force, said he believed the regulation would help protect the health of residents in the province, while he also believes that the smoke-free policy benefits the tourism industry in Luang Prabang.
"From now on, our heritage city will be smoke-free. We want to set a good example for other World Heritage sites, and to demonstrate that it is our policy to protect the health not only of the people of Laos, but also of visitors," he said.
Facts about second-hand smoke
- What is second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS)?
Second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) refers to the smoke from burning tobacco products, generated by people smoking them. The tobacco industry has also called it environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). When tobacco smoke contaminates the air, especially in enclosed spaces, it is breathed in by all around, exposing both smokers and non-smokers to its harmful effects.
- Second-hand tobacco smoke causes cancer
There is no doubt: breathing SHS is very dangerous to your health. There are over 4,000 known chemicals in tobacco smoke; more than 50 of them are known to cause cancer in humans. SHS also causes heart disease and many serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in children and adults.
- There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke
Neither ventilation nor filtration, alone or in combination, can reduce tobacco smoke exposure indoors to levels that are considered acceptable. Only 100% smoke-free environments provide effective protection.
- Almost half of the world's children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke
Exposure to SHS occurs anywhere smoking is permitted: homes, workplaces, public places. The WHO estimates that around 700 million children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, particularly at home. Findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey among students 13 to 15 years old in 132 countries between 1999 and 2005 show that 43.9% of the students are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke at home, 55.8% are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke in public places.
Some 76,1% of those surveyed expressed support for smoking bans in public places.
- Second-hand tobacco smoke contributes heavily to the global burden of disease
Worker deaths: The International Labour Organisation estimates that at least 200,000 workers die every year due to exposure to SHS at work.
Deaths in Europe: A recent report estimated that around 80,000 people died in the 25 European Union countries in 2002 due to SHS-related conditions.
Deaths in the United States: The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that SHS is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually among non-smokers in the US, and that up to one million children with asthma have their condition worsened due to SHS exposure.
- Second-hand tobacco smoke is also an economic burden
The costs of SHS are not limited to the burden of disease. Exposure to SHS also imposes economic costs on individuals, businesses and societies as a whole.
These include primarily direct and indirect medical costs, and also productivity losses. In addition, workplaces where smoking is permitted incur higher renovation and cleaning costs, increased risk of fire and may experience higher insurance premiums.
A recent study by the US Society of Actuaries estimates that SHS exposure results in more than US$5 billion in direct medical costs and more than $5 billion in indirect medical costs (such as disability, lost wages and related benefits) annually in the US.
In Hong Kong, the annual value of direct medical costs, long-term care and productivity loss due to SHS exposure is estimated to be around US$156 million.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has estimated that clean air would increase productivity in the US by 3.5%, saving employers US$15 billion annually. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION