At the Liberty Hotel No. 4 in HCM City, non-smoking signs can be seen on all of the lobby's tables and at the receptionist's desk. Such signs are a familiar sight in many countries, but in Vietnam, they are relatively new.

 An employee who smokes costs his or her employer nearly $6,000 (4,500 euros) more per year than a non-smoker, according to a study of the United States published on Monday in the journal Tobacco Control.