Smokers are getting younger and younger.

Experts believe that the alarming reality today is the increasing number of young people addicted to tobacco, especially new generation products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

On May 28th, Mr. Ngo Van Cuong, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union, made the above statement at the launching ceremony of the "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Tobacco and E-cigarettes" campaign, in response to World No Tobacco Day on May 31st, adding that the rate of traditional smoking among teenagers has decreased while the rate of e-cigarette use has increased rapidly.

"The rate of e-cigarette use in 2020, for both men and women, increased 18 times compared to 2015, with a high concentration in the 15-24 age group, which is an alarming situation," Mr. Cuong said. Research shows that 7.3% of e-cigarette users are in the 15-24 age group, while the 25-44 age group accounts for 3.2%, and the 45-64 age group for 1.4%.

Meanwhile, in the five years since 2015, the percentage of men who smoke (in general) has decreased from 45% to 42%. Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health , said that "the smoking rate among adults is decreasing slowly, and the rate of exposure to secondhand smoke remains high."

Currently, Vietnam remains among the top 15 countries with the highest number of smokers in the world. The goal is to reduce the smoking rate among men to 39%.

Over 500 young people participated in a run to commemorate World No Tobacco Day on May 31st. Photo: Hoai Linh

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking causes many chronic and incurable diseases. Tobacco smoke contains approximately 7,000 chemical substances, including 69 carcinogens, and is responsible for 25 different disease groups, such as 11 types of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and reproductive health problems in both men and women. It is estimated that one in two smokers will die prematurely, with half of these deaths occurring in middle age.

Like regular cigarettes, heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes also release harmful chemicals such as nitrosamines and hydrocarbons – substances found in car exhaust and pesticides, which can cause cancer and emerging diseases. Therefore, experts warn that these new-generation tobacco products are just as harmful as traditional cigarettes.

The WHO estimates that more than 8 million people die globally each year from smoking, and approximately 1.2 million people become ill and die from inhaling secondhand smoke – also known as passive smoking. In Vietnam, around 40,000 people die from smoking each year, of which 6,000 die from inhaling secondhand smoke, including women and children.

According to a 2020 study by the Tobacco Control Fund (Ministry of Health), the rate of passive smoking in restaurants and hotels is relatively high. Nearly 80% of people inhale secondhand smoke in restaurants, and 65% in hotels. Vietnam aims to reduce the rate of passive exposure to tobacco smoke to below 25% in the workplace by 2030; below 65% in restaurants; below 70% in bars and cafes; and below 50% in hotels.

Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, believes that to achieve this goal, priority should be given to increasing taxes and prices, as tobacco prices in Vietnam are currently the lowest in the world. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent and control the use of new tobacco products.

This year's World No Tobacco Day on May 31st has the theme "We need food, not tobacco," aiming to promote public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco on health, the economy, the environment, food security, and nutrition; and calling for people to quit smoking to increase spending on food.

Le Nga

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