Creating a smoke-free environment in restaurants and hotels.

Over the years, restaurants and hotels in Lang Son province have paid close attention to creating smoke-free environments. The transition to a "smoke-free" model is becoming an inevitable trend, not only in compliance with legal regulations but also bringing significant benefits to health, the economy, and brand image. This demonstrates social responsibility and elevates the quality of service offered by these businesses.

Staff at Muong Thanh Luxury Lang Son Hotel educate guests about smoking only in designated areas.

According to statistics from the Department of Health and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province currently has a total of 300 accommodation establishments with 4,072 rooms. The province also has over 8,500 food establishments, of which 3,881 are food service establishments managed by the health sector. To date, approximately 70% of accommodation establishments and food service businesses have proactively implemented measures to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco, such as: displaying "No Smoking" or "Smoking Prohibited" signs in hallways, guest rooms, and dining areas; and arranging designated smoking areas for customers. Furthermore, 100% of hotels with 3 stars or more strictly comply with tobacco harm prevention measures.

The prevention and control of tobacco use has been given attention by restaurants and hotels. Ms. Phung Thi Trang, Deputy Director of Muong Thanh Luxury Lang Son Hotel, said: "The hotel currently has 239 rooms. From the moment we welcome and check in guests, we always clearly state the rules prohibiting smoking in guest rooms and other prohibited areas within the hotel grounds. At the entrances of rooms and in public areas, the hotel places 'no smoking' signs, equips smoke extraction devices, and ensures strict enforcement of the no-smoking regulations in prohibited areas. Hotel staff also regularly remind and guide guests to designated smoking areas to avoid affecting the surrounding environment."

Lang Son is aiming to welcome 4.4 million tourists by 2025, and a smoke-free tourism model is an indispensable part of this strategy. Effectively implementing tobacco control measures at accommodation establishments and food service businesses not only helps protect tourists' health and minimize fire incidents, but also contributes to building a civilized and courteous tourism environment and is a practical solution to attract tourists and develop tourism sustainably.

Dr. Luong Thi Hiep, Deputy Head of the Food Safety Department of the Department of Health, said: In the past, the Lang Son Department of Health (the standing agency of the Provincial Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control) has proactively developed documents to urge and guide units to disseminate information about the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control and other related contents; organized training courses and propaganda on tobacco harm prevention and control at medical facilities, restaurants, and hotels. In particular, in 2025, the Department of Health conducted tobacco harm prevention and control propaganda in schools and residential areas.

In November 2025, the Department of Health organized two training courses on tobacco harm prevention for representatives of restaurants and hotels in Lang Son province. These courses helped restaurant and hotel businesses understand regulations on tobacco harm prevention and guided them in creating a civilized, smoke-free working environment. This brought many practical benefits, contributing to building a civilized and friendly image for restaurants and hotels in Lang Son, increasing their attractiveness, improving service quality, and ensuring compliance with legal regulations on tobacco harm prevention. In particular, the participating units understood the importance of protecting public health and minimizing the harm of passive smoking for customers, especially families with young children, the elderly, and service staff.

Creating a smoke-free environment is not only a legal requirement but also a smart investment in the sustainable development of the restaurant and hotel industry. This not only protects public health and improves service quality but also affirms Lang Son as an ideal destination for tourists.

Dai Lam – Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Source: https://soyt.langson.gov.vn/thong-tin-chuyen-nganh/y-te-du-phong/xay-dung-moi-truong-nha-hang-khach-san-khong-thuoc-la.html