It’s a few years now since Vietnam made its decision to mandate smoke-free spaces in bars and restaurants. You wouldn’t know it. A country that can deploy a heavy enforcement hand when it wants to, has decided to go soft on the tobacco industry - despite the health carnage being wrought on the Vietnamese people.
Many of Saigon’s bars and restaurants look more like something out of an episode of Mad Men, than the 21st century.
There are a few bars and more restaurants and cafes that have made the decision off their own bat, to keep smoking outdoors - and do the right thing by their staff and their non-smoking customers. And they seem to be doing fine.
It seems unlikely though that there’ll be major improvement until a decision is made to enforce already existing laws.
I took the shot at the top at Pasteur St Brewing Company in Saigon, last Friday night. They didn’t seem to be suffering at all from keeping their main bar smoke-free - they have a smoking area upstairs.
There were large numbers of tourists in the room - as well as a healthy number of locals and expats. The tasty craft beers were flowing thick and fast - and they tasted better in a smoke-free space too.
It’s a crazy proposition, but if Vietnam’s leaders are unmoved by the tobacco induced health catastrophe the country faces, perhaps I can make the case for a tourism driven crackdown on smoking in shared places like bars and restaurants.
Vietnam’s permissive smoking regime puts it increasingly out of step with international norms. Neighbours Cambodia and Laos are ahead of Vietnam on protecting hospitality workers and the lungs of non-smokers.
In most developed countries, around 20% of adults smoke.
That means that around 80% of western travellers are likely to be displeased with Vietnam’s permissive smoking regime. And as smoking is even less prevalent among the affluent, high-end travellers will likely be more aghast at Vietnam’s smoke-filled restaurants and bars.
Photo: Mark Bowyer This packed local bar in Vientiane Laos is smoke free. Why not Vietnam?
Vietnam’s libertarian approach to smoking is very risky from a tourism marketing and branding perspective. Coming on top of revelations about dangerously poor air quality in Vietnam’s cities, it’s hard to know where to put your lungs.
It’s true that as a cheap and free smoking environment, Vietnam will hold a special attraction to a small percentage of travellers hoping to escape the higher prices and tougher regulations of home.
But that niche market will be courted at the expense of the 80% who feel differently.
Tourism is an interesting business. At its worst, it wreaks havoc on natural environments and cultures, it displaces the poor and exploits.
At its best though, it aligns the interests of local people and visitors.
Healthy living, public spaces, sensible heritage protection, vibrant local culture, healthy local food, walkability and environmental sustainability, are key factors in building great cities. They’re also key factors in building great tourism destinations.
Vietnam’s ranking on many of these measures is low and falling. That’s bad for tourists and bad for the people living in Vietnam’s cities.
Some of the liveability challenges facing fast growing cities like Saigon and Hanoi are very difficult and very expensive to resolve. Some aren’t.
Enforcing already existing common-sense rules around smoking, falls in the easy category. The young lungs of Vietnam’s hospitality workers deserve better. And the country’s tourism industry will benefit too.
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