This year's World No Tobacco Day, May 31, was launched by the World Health Organization with the theme "Protecting children from the effects of the tobacco industry".
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that in response to World No Tobacco Day, the Ministry of Health called for launching a communication campaign to prevent e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to protect children and public health.
Citing practical evidence, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that the rate of e-cigarette use among students in the 13-17 age group increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023. In the 13-15 age group, the rate has more than doubled from 3.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2023.
The World Health Organization emphasized that this will be an opportunity for young people around the world to raise their understanding and awareness to demand that the tobacco industry stop targeting children and adolescents with harmful products and call on governments to implement strong anti-tobacco measures, protecting children from the impact of tobacco advertising, including marketing through social media and digital platforms.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Health organized the Communication Campaign to prevent electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products to protect children and public health, which is not only a call, but also a specific action to prevent and reduce the use of new tobacco products in the community, especially among adolescents - the most vulnerable group.
"We will focus on raising public awareness of the harmful effects of heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, and encourage parents, schools and the community to join hands to protect the young generation," Professor Tran Van Thuan analyzed.
The leader of the Ministry of Health said that implementing Decision No. 568 of the Prime Minister approving the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention to 2030 and the recent Official Dispatch No. 47 dated May 13, 2024 of the Prime Minister on strengthening the management of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products, many practical activities have been deployed by ministries, branches, mass organizations, provinces and cities such as the Campaign "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes".
The Ministry of Health calls on agencies, organizations and the entire community to continue to have practical activities and promote communication and information to build a smoke-free environment and strictly enforce the Law on Prevention of Tobacco Harms.
Schools should strengthen education and organize extracurricular activities to equip students with the necessary knowledge to protect themselves from the temptation of new generation cigarettes. Parents should pay attention and talk to their children about the risks of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, helping them understand and be proactive in saying no to these products.
Source
Comment (0)