From 15th to 18th July,  Vietnam Public Health Association (VPHA) conducted  a Training workshop named”Strenthening implementation and enforcement of smoke-free policy at provincial level” in Ha Noi. Particpants were representatives of six provincial public health Associations: Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Ha Tinh, Hue, Khanh Hoa and Dong Thap, with facilitation of Vietnam tobacco control experts.  At the workshop, particiapants has gained knowledge on harmful effects of smoking, FCTC and effective tobacco control measures, current tobacco control activities in Viet Nam. Besides, participants has been provided with essential skills (know-how)  to establish and implement smoke-free workplace and selected publlic places including  health, school and transportation facilities.  Furthermore, at the workshop, VPHA together with experts from WHO and CDS has discussed with each province about the plan to implement local activities under the project named” Advocacy and support for strenthening of enforcement and implementation of smoke-free policy in Vietnam using Vietnam Public Health Association network”   Although there have been legal documents on smoke-free pocliy,  the implementation and enforcement of a smoke-free policy have been proven to be significant challenges for the Vietnamese government, given the country's high smoking prevalence, widespread public acceptance of smoking, weak enforcement measures, low levels of public support for and compliance with smoke-free policies, and lack of prioritization by local governments It is expected that workshop participants (key provincial tobacco control activists)  would be equiped with appropriate knowledge and skills to implement and enforce smoke-free polcies at their own localities

BACKGROUND 

The problems with dioxin and its effect to health of the communities have long been discussing during, right after the war and last until now. A number of researches have been implemented with a lot of findings. The latest one, and seems being accepted widely since it has been carried out in collaboration between an well-known research Company in Canada name Hatfield and scientists working in the specific focusing on this narrow field institution in Vietnam called committee 10-80. The approach, the methodology and the ways of collecting samples of this research have been objective and accepted by scientists worldwide through publications and presentations internationally. The results of this study have been quoted in a number of meeting aiming at how to solve problem. Based on the findings of this research, 7 hotspots have been identified with the levels of dioxin vary from as high as 2.5 to 80 time than permitted level (depending on where the sample have been taken) stipulated by a number of countries, and one could easily found out the fact that after more than 30 years of the war, people those who have been and are newly settling in the areas with high concentration of the dioxin still facing with a very high risks of being infected either thru exposing themselves directly with the water, soil where dioxin is settled and indirectly thru daily innocently eating food contaminated by the chemical toxic. Both ways of exposing are not only posing harmful impact directly to the exposed persons but the following generations. Discussions are still going on concerning to the concentrative levels of TCDD in the polluted area. However, under the public health point of view, we could not wait and see of what should be the last decision on the exact levels of TCDD settle in the water, soil and the food chain while community people is still facing day to day with threatening due to a confirmedly higher than permitted levels of dioxin in the polluted materials surrounding them. Some immediate actions should be taken using the scientific approval methods in order to reduce the risks faced by the community people right now.

Annual National Scientific Conference Of Public Health

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