More than 500 people participate in the Marathon "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes"

On the morning of May 28, at Tran Nhan Tong Walking Street and Thong Nhat Park (Hanoi), the Marathon "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Cigarettes and Electronic Cigarettes" took place, attracting more than 500 union members and young people to participate.

Hòa giải thương mại - phương thức giải quyết tranh chấp hiệu quả hướng tới hội nhập quốc tế

The Organizing Committee pressed the button to launch the race and the campaign Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes. (Photo: Van Chi)

On this occasion, union members and young people responded to the commitment not to use cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and heated tobacco products to protect health and build a healthy lifestyle and a smoke-free environment.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa - Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) said that with the continuous efforts of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Program, in Vietnam, Vietnamese youth have better awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco and have changed their behavior, actively participating in activities to prevent and combat the harmful effects of tobacco. The rate of tobacco use among adolescents aged 13-15 has decreased from 2.5% (in 2014) to 1.9% (in 2022).

However, in recent years, many products called e-cigarettes and heated tobacco have appeared. Although not yet licensed, their sale and advertising are widespread. The rate of e-cigarette smoking in 2020 among both men and women increased 18 times compared to 2015 (from 0.2% to 3.6%). In particular, the trend of using e-cigarettes is highly concentrated in the 15-24 age group.

Therefore, the 2023 communication programs of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund will promote propaganda about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and promote communication on social networking sites (TikTok, Youtube, Facebook) to provide timely information and mobilize the participation of a large number of young people and students.

Young people enthusiastically participated in the Marathon "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes". (Photo: Van Chi)

Mr. Ngo Van Cuong - Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Youth Union said that Vietnam is among the 15 countries with the highest number of smokers in the world. Currently, the situation of younger smokers is an alarming reality. This requires drastic intervention from all levels and functional sectors in propagating and raising awareness among young people about the harmful effects caused by tobacco.

Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Youth Union Ngo Van Cuong hopes that through these activities, the Youth Union members and young people will understand the harmful effects of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products today. Thereby, creating a strong media wave to convey the message of a smoke-free Vietnam, a young community that says no to cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Dr. Tom Carroll, Senior Advisor for Communications and Advocacy at Vital Strategies, added that e-cigarette and heated tobacco use can cause damage to the lungs, heart and brain, especially in young people. Like regular cigarette smoking, heated tobacco and e-cigarettes emit toxic chemicals such as nitrosamines and hydrocarbons found in car exhaust and pesticides that cause cancer.

"Using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products quickly causes nicotine addiction and is difficult to quit. With the facts and specific evidence of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, let's say 'No' to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to protect the younger generation," Dr. Tom Carroll emphasized.

More than 500 people participated in the Marathon "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes". (Photo: Van Chi)

At the Marathon "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes", the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union launched an online contest to design communication products to propagate the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes.

Participants are individuals or groups of people, Vietnamese citizens, under 35 years old. Time to post entries on personal Facebook pages from 12:00 on May 28, 2023 to June 28, 2023.

Also within the framework of the Campaign, on May 31, the Central Youth Union will organize a seminar on “The Harmful Effects of Electronic Cigarettes in Schools” for 800 students at Hanoi University of Industry. The seminar will have the participation of representatives of the Central Youth Union, representatives of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, representatives of the Global Public Health Organization Vital Strategies, and representatives of the World Health Organization WHO. The current situation and solutions related to the problem of using electronic cigarettes in schools will be shared and answered at the seminar.

Responding to World No Tobacco Day (May 31) with the theme "We need food, not tobacco" launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), responding to the National No Tobacco Week 2023 (May 25, 2023 - May 31, 2023), the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union coordinated with the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund (Ministry of Health), and the Global Community Health Organization Vital Strategies to organize the Campaign "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes in 2023".

The campaign aims to raise awareness among union members, youth and the community about the harmful effects of tobacco on health, economy, environment, food security and nutrition; thereby building a healthy lifestyle and a smoke-free environment; at the same time promoting the pioneering role of union members, youth and cadres in participating in preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco.

The Campaign's activities include the Marathon "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes"; "Online Competition to Design Communication Products to Propaganda on the Harmful Effects of E-cigarettes" and the Discussion "Harmful Effects of E-cigarettes in Schools".

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