Attendees at a two-day workshop on Buddhism and tobacco drafted a resolution pledging

to help reduce smoking-related disease and enforce government directives on smoke-free

pagoda compounds. Among the attendees were 13 head monks, officials from the Ministry

of Cults and Religions, and NGO representatives. Yel Daravuth, program director at

the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, called on monks to quit smoking to set

an example to their communities. The workshop ended on April 24.