4 August 2026
By Chhuon Kongieng – Cambodianess
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia’s smoke-free laws are widely enforced in restaurants, cafés and other formal venues, but smokers continue to light up freely on streets and in traditional markets, exposing the public to secondhand smoke in spaces largely untouched by current regulations. Business owners say they do what they can to enforce the rules, while health advocates are calling for tougher and more consistent enforcement to better protect the public.
Phen Sophea, an English language and literature student, regularly encounters secondhand smoke while shopping at markets and travelling through Phnom Penh. She said the smoke often leaves her short of breath and believes smoking in busy public spaces should face stricter regulation.
“This should be banned because it affects other people. The biggest concern is the health risk, especially for young people, the elderly and those with respiratory problems,” she said.
Cambodia’s Sub-Decree No. 43, issued on March 16, 2016, prohibits smoking and tobacco smoke emissions in workplaces and public places to protect people from secondhand smoke. It also bans the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18.
Smoking is prohibited in parks, public buses, workplaces, hospitals and other health facilities, schools, daycare centers, playgrounds, religious sites, museums, cultural and historical sites, gyms, petrol stations and other areas at risk of fire.
Venue owners are also required to display no-smoking signs that include the applicable fines and contact details for local authorities. Smokers who violate the law face fines of 20,000 riel (about $5), while owners of workplaces and public venues can be fined 50,000 riel (about $12.50) for failing to comply. Penalties double for repeat offenses.
According to the World Health Organization, secondhand smoke increases the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer among non-smokers. Tobacco use causes millions of deaths worldwide each year, including hundreds of thousands among people exposed to secondhand smoke.
But many outdoor public spaces — including streets and traditional markets — are not specifically covered by the current regulations, allowing smokers to light up in places where large numbers of people gather.
Law Works Indoors, Weakens Outside
Dr. Mom Kong, executive director of the Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH), said Cambodia has made significant progress in reducing smoking in enclosed public places since the regulations came into force, but enforcement becomes far less consistent once people leave those formal settings.
“Many restaurants, workplaces and government institutions now comply with the law, but smoking is still common in places where enforcement is weak or where the public is unaware of the restrictions,” he said.
Kong said covered outdoor structures — spaces with a roof but no walls — are also classified as smoke-free areas because tobacco smoke can still linger and expose nearby people.
“The purpose of the law is not to punish smokers,” he said. “It is to protect other people from secondhand smoke.”
He said enforcement still varies from one local authority to another. While some districts actively monitor compliance, others rely largely on business owners and members of the public to uphold the rules.
Restaurant owner Liv Nika, who has operated a seafood restaurant in Sangkat Toek Laak, Khan Toul Kork, for 19 years, said enforcing the ban has become easier over time because most customers now understand the rules.
She estimated that only about one in every 20 customers refuses to comply.
Because the restaurant serves Khmer, Chinese and international customers, no-smoking signs are displayed in three languages.
Nika said she installed the signs years ago to protect customers and comply with Cambodia’s smoke-free regulations.
Most customers who smoke indoors are intoxicated, she said, and occasionally insist they should be allowed to smoke because they are paying customers.
“But our responsibility is to everyone in the restaurant,” she said.
“If a customer smokes, we guide them to the tables outside. We hope customers understand that these rules are there to protect everyone, especially pregnant women, children and older people.”
Tha Somnang, who operates a café in Sangkat Tuol Tumpong, said customers rarely object when asked to smoke outside.
“Most customers respect the rules once they see the sign,” he said.
“Even if they smoke outside, it’s better for everyone else because customers are more comfortable and we don’t receive complaints about cigarette smoke.”
Smoking Behind the Wheel Falls Into a Legal Grey Area
While restaurants and cafés appear to have largely adapted to the regulations, the legal position becomes less clear when smoking takes place inside vehicles.
Kong said Sub-Decree No. 43 prohibits people from smoking while driving a private or public vehicle, or while riding a motorbike with passengers, because doing so exposes others to secondhand smoke.
“But only if there are other passengers in the vehicle,” he said. “This includes both paying and non-paying passengers. The sub-decree is designed to protect the people travelling with them.”
Cambodia’s Road Traffic Law, however, does not specifically prohibit smoking while driving a private vehicle.
Phan Rim, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said smoking while driving is not illegal under the traffic law, although it may distract drivers and increase safety risks.
“The current law does not penalize smoking while driving, and we do not have any plans at this time to study or introduce regulations on smoking while driving,” Rim said.
Kong acknowledged that the different legal frameworks can confuse the public, with many people assuming smoking while driving is always legal.
He added that smoking is prohibited both inside and outside hospitals and schools, as well as in other designated fire-risk areas. However, smokers may still smoke beyond school fences or outside building perimeters.
Kong said stronger enforcement would depend on cooperation between authorities, businesses and the public.
“There needs to be public participation,” he said. “Shop owners can put up signs, while residents can remind smokers not to smoke in prohibited areas.”
He said authorities should continue installing no-smoking signs, issue warnings where necessary and expand public education campaigns so more people understand where smoking is prohibited and why the restrictions exist.
Kong also noted that Cambodia does not permit designated smoking rooms in restaurants, unlike some countries.
Airports are the only exception because departing passengers cannot easily leave the terminal to smoke elsewhere. Even so, Kong said several neighboring countries, including Laos, have chosen not to provide airport smoking rooms, reflecting a broader shift towards stronger smoke-free environments.