A parish in Ho Chi Minh City says an anti-smoking awareness campaign it launched recently is proving a success. “We are very happy that many people have given up smoking or simply not smoked in the compound of the church since we started the anti-smoking campaign in July,” said Father Joachim Nguyen Thanh Tuu, assistant priest of Tan Dinh parish. Fr Tuu, 39, said quite a few women have personally thanked the parish for encouraging their husbands not to light up. “The campaign aims to promote better health among local people and environmental protection,” the priest said. The parish is publishing articles on the damage caused by smoking and Catholic doctors are giving talks at the church. Local Catholics are also urged to attend Eucharist adoration on Tuesday evenings to pray for smokers to quit the habit. Augustine Dang Thien Tung, a lay leader, said he gave up smoking to support the campaign and set an example to others. He said he had been a heavy smoker for 40 years, smoking 40 cigarettes a day. Marie Doan Thi Mong Diep, a parishioner, said she attends weekly Eucharist adoration to pray for her brothers to quit. “Smoking damages people’s health so they should not smoke,” she said. “But smokers find it difficult to stop so they need our prayers,” she added. According to local media reports, at least 40,000 people die of smoking related diseases each year in Vietnam. Half the adult male population smoke and most of them start between the ages of 13-15.