More than 1.2 million signatures have been collected during a one-month No Smoking House campaign in Vietnam. The figure was released by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee and the Office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Vietnam at a meeting to sum up the campaign in Hanoi on July 22.

The No Smoking House campaign was launched on May 31 as part of activities in response to the World No Tobacco Day: ‘Tobacco and Gender’, focusing on the harmful effects of smoking on women and children. Together with collecting signatures, the VWU Central Committee trained its staff and officers in 30 provinces and cities about the harmful effects of smoking, the smoking situation in Vietnam and the benefits of a non-smoking environment.

Over 820,000 women were provided with information on the damaging effects of cigarette smoke and passive smoking through activities of grassroots women’s associations. Women’s associations at all levels delivered 200,000 WHO-issued postcards on tobacco’s bad effects. Speaking at the meeting, a WHO representative emphasised the important role of the VWU in accessing and disseminating information to families about the dangers of tobacco. (VNA)