Smoke-free Yangon City

Under Myanmar’s national tobacco control law of 2006, at least 14 places/institutions such as hospitals and clinics, education institutions, entertainment places, parks and playgrounds, enclosed markets, etc., where general population have access to enter/stay, must be total smoke-free.  There are 6 other public places such as offices, Hotels and Inns, Restaurants, Public Transport Stations like airports, train stations, bus stops and riverine ports are also smoke-free areas, but they should have designated smoking areas. Awareness and enforcement of such regulation are weak, and administrative support is also inadequate. Ministry of Health and Sports, with support from regional and state governments and national NGO like PHF, is pursuing smoke-free cities, townships, health institutions, smoke-free schools and universities, and smoke-free religious places.

Yangon City Development Committee and Yangon Regional Public Health Department, with the support of People’s Health Foundation, will plan, implement and evaluate the Partnership for healthy cities project for Yangon City (under Bloomberg Philanthropies Healthy Cities Initiative, managed by Vital Strategies), with an aim at establishing the smoke-free Yangon City by 2022.

The general objective of the said partnership project is to establish 100% smoke-free at public places within next five years, to protect the general population from second-hand smoking.

Yangon Regional Government has agreed to establishment of Smoke-free Yangon City, by 2022, with a five-year plan, starting from 2018, with Kyauk-ta-da Township as a pilot township for smoke-free. After the initial survey on compliance by places, stipulated by the national law in October-December, 2018, formal launch of smoke-free campaign was launched in Kyauk-ta-da by the City mayor.