Saigon Sees a Sharp Rise in Dengue Fever
This has been a tough year for dengue in Vietnam. While health officials have been cautioning for months now that the illness, passed by mosquitoes, is on the rise, dengue has reached peak levels in t...
[Video] Saigon Slaughterhouse Caught Dyeing Chickens With Chemicals
You might want to hold off on the phở gà for a while. Apparently, in order to give its produce that tasty, chicken-fat-yellow hue, one local slaughterhouse has been dipping its freshly-killed chickens...
Street Food Vendors May Be Required to Comply With New Food Safety Regulation
Street food could soon get a thorough cleaning, as new regulations proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade seek to bring food safety standards to Saigon's roadside dining.
Female Viagra May Be Coming To A Pharmacy Near You
Last week, the Vietnamese Department of Health announced that it would consider circulating a newly-approved drug call Addyi, which treats low sexual desire in women.
How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Gluten
So you’ve been told that gluten is the antithesis of healthy living. Google searches involving the words “gluten” and “bad” yield thousands of articles branding this highly misunderstood substance as ...
Up To 54% Of Ice In Saigon Found To Be Contaminated
From trà đá and cafe sữa đá to bia hơi, ice is an important element of beverage culture in Saigon. But according to a new study by the city’s Department of Food Hygiene and Safety, more than half of i...
Beer Prices In Saigon Among The Cheapest On Earth: Index
According to the 2015 Beer Price Index, Saigon has some of the cheapest been in the world.
[Video] What Happens When Vietnamese Try to Use a Condom for the First Time
You know sex education in Vietnam is lacking when a group of 20-somethings struggle mightily to unfurl a condom.
Fake Rice Made With Plastic Has Allegedly Made Its Way To Vietnam
As if we didn’t have enough to worry about when it comes to local food safety, reports have surfaced that fake, plastic-based rice may have found its way into our food supply.
Vietnam Moves to Ban Smoking at Weddings and Funerals
In a move to combat climbing smoking rates in Vietnam, heath officials have proposed banning the act at weddings and funerals.
Saigon’s Golf Course Is Poisoning Local Residents: Experts
Unlike most golf courses, Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat Golf Course is located in the heart of a densely populated urban area where it poses a serious environmental threat to those living nearby. Local reside...
Vietnam Begins to Issue Fines for Helmetless Children on Motorbikes
Starting this week, Vietnamese traffic police officers will issue fines to motorbike drivers with helmetless children over six-years-old in tow.
Medical Musings: Would You Like A Side Of Arsenic With That Rice?
In the last several years, there has been some talk about various chemicals found in the food supply here in Vietnam. You may remember bleach in bún and coconuts, MSG in everything, antibiotics in pou...
Medical Musings: Beware Of Fake Alcohol In Vietnam
Vietnam drinks a lot of alcohol. In fact, it tops the list in Southeast Asia at nearly 3 billion liters yearly. While beer is the alcoholic beverage of choice for many, spirits are also a popular opti...
Medical Musings: Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is the most common mosquito-transmitted viral illness in the world. It is seen in Vietnam and over 120 other sub-tropical and tropical countries, wherever the Aedes aegypti mosquito is fo...
How Fat Are Vietnamese Compared to the Rest of the World?
On a global scale, Vietnam fits into the low risk bucket when it comes to obesity rates with the medical condition afflicting less than 5% of the population.
Police Bust Producer for 'Coffee' Made With 90% Corn, Chemicals
Confirming rumors about the poor quality of some Vietnamese coffee, on January 19, Buôn Mê Thuột Police conducted a search of a local coffee processing plant and uncovered almost 500 kilograms of corn...
Vietnamese Patients “Wait To Die” After Slashes To Pharma Subsidies
New Vietnamese health insurance regulations which went into effect yesterday will make potentially life-saving medicine out of reach for many low-income patients. And things are only going to get wors...
[Photos] The Striking Differences Between Chinese And Đà Lạt Produce
Fears over the safety of Chinese produce have been increasing over the past few years with stories like the “immortal apple” becoming common in the Vietnamese press.
[Video] Biker Drives Down Highway Using Only Feet, Takes Selfies Along The Way
This young motorist shows particular disregard for safety and common sense, driving down the highway at 60km/hour using only his feet, allowing him to use his free hands to take selfies with his passe...
