Southeast Asia: Vietnam Ponder Karaoke Bar Dance Ban in Bid to Slow Ecstasy Use

The Vietnamese government is floating the idea of banning dancing at karaoke bars in a bid to limit the use of Ecstasy. The move is the latest effort to clamp down on drug use at the popular singing spots.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism posted the proposed ban and sought public comment on the measure. The government banned alcohol at such establishments in 2006, a year after it stopped granting new licenses for bars, karaoke clubs, and dance halls. The venues are often used for drugs and prostitution, authorities said.

"The function of karaoke bars is for singing, not for dancing. The ban for dancing in karaoke bars is to limit the use of ecstasy pills," Thanh Nien newspaper quoted Le Anh Tuyen, head of the ministry's legal department, as saying. Tuyen added that any dancing in a karaoke bar would violate the ban, but "behavior with less danger to society," such as simply moving to the beat of a song, would not be punished.

Residents interviewed by VNExpress didn't seem overly impressed by the proposal. "Who can monitor, and who can define what is called dancing," the news web site quoted one resident, Nhu Dan, as saying.

For Thu Hong, visiting karaoke bars was a stress-reliever. "It will be boring if you enter a karaoke bar, sitting in one place to sing songs," Hong said.