Vietnam Health Ministry Tightens Ban on Smoking in Hospitals

Why this is here: Each day, smoking-related illnesses claim nearly 300 lives in Vietnam, a number significantly higher than deaths from traffic accidents.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health launched its second campaign to create smoke-free healthcare facilities on May 19th. The program now empowers patients to evaluate hospitals—specifically those with 100 beds or more—through direct feedback on compliance, moving beyond internal reports.

The country loses roughly 108 trillion dong annually due to healthcare costs and lost productivity related to smoking. Tobacco smoke contains 70 carcinogens and currently claims about 300 lives daily in Vietnam, far exceeding traffic fatalities. Doctors and nurses will now directly monitor and remind people to follow the rules, and also support patients wanting to quit.

Smoking disproportionately affects men of working age, leading to financial hardship for families burdened by expensive cancer treatments. Secondhand smoke also impacts women and children, increasing rates of acute respiratory illness and cancer diagnoses. The Ministry hopes to assess and improve the quality of care at over 2,100 public and private hospitals that see nearly 20 million patients each year.

The program builds on the success of hospitals like Cho Ray, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Uong Bi Vietnam-Sweden, which demonstrated effective smoke-free environments in 2025. The ministry will continue to refine its approach to protect patients and healthcare workers.