On 30th April, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism, State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Phnom Penh City Hall with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Cambodia and the Cambodia Movement for Health held a meeting with the Phnom Penh International Airport Management to review progress of compliance with the Law on Tobacco Control and its regulations.
After the meeting, Phnom Penh Airport Management immediately agreed to remove the ashtrays from the Departure Area to an area further away. The Management committed to establishing smoking areas outside the Department Area and said it intended to do the same for airports in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
The Working Group also toured the Duty-Free Shop (DFS) at the Airport and talked to its manager about compliance with relevant laws and the regulations on the sale of cigarettes. Consequently, the Manager agreed to let the Shop sell only cigarette packs with pictorial health warnings labels, display only one pack per brand and only on plain brown displays with the goal of discouraging consumption.“We are encouraged by the prompt actions by the Phnom Penh International Airport Management, which stand to benefit millions of people travelling through the Airport every year. We are hoping to see and secure commitment from other similar places. Ultimately, we want a smoke-free environment for all,” said Dr Daravuth Yel, Technical Officer for Tobacco Free Initiative, Mental Health and Substance Abuse and a WHO representative at the meeting.
“These results would not have been possible without strong commitment by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Tourism and State Secretariat of Civil Aviation. WHO stands ready to continue working with the two Ministries and the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation to bring about even more and greater achievements,” added Dr Daravuth.
Tobacco is the only product which kills half of its consumers and has been linked to an increased risk for heart diseases, lung cancer, and other diseases. Exposure to tobacco smoke alone kills around 890,000 people per year. For these and other good reasons, one should avoid consuming tobacco at all costs.