A new government initiative to warn Cambodians about the dangers of smoking tobacco was launched yesterday by the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization.

At the launch of the campaign dubbed “Tobacco Makes Your Children Die”, the director of health improvement at the ministry, Chhea Chhordaphea, called for “more effective measures” that will protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke and “will encourage the smoker[s] to quit”.

Ung Phirun, a secretary of state at the ministry, said a plan is in the works to submit sub-decrees to the Council of Ministers that would mandate smoke-free environments. However, neither Chhordaphea nor Phirun could provide a precise date for when that would happen.

Data presented at the launch show that 75 per cent of women and 80 per cent of children are living in families in which at least one member smokes. Also, 80 per cent of Cambodians support smoking bans for public transit, restaurants and the workplace.

The campaign will see ads placed on tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang and Kampong Cham, and five short TV spots will be broadcast over the next three months.