Raising tobacco taxes is an important strategy to reduce death and disease burden.

According to experts, increasing tobacco taxes is a key and effective strategy to reduce tobacco use, especially among low-income people and children.

According to experts, increasing tobacco taxes is a key and effective strategy to reduce tobacco use, especially among low-income people and children.

On November 21, the Ministry of Information and Communications held a training conference to improve communication capacity on tobacco harm prevention for reporters and editors of newspapers and radio stations.

The conference attracted the participation of many experts, managers and press agencies, with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of propaganda work on the harmful effects of tobacco and prevention measures.

Ms. Phan Thi Hai, Deputy Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, spoke at the Conference.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ho Hong Hai, Deputy Director of the Legal Department, Ministry of Information and Communications, emphasized that over the years, the Ministry has closely coordinated with the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, the Ministry of Health and press agencies to raise public awareness of this issue. Communication work has helped to orient information widely, helping people quickly become aware of the harmful effects of tobacco and preventive measures.

The use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Vietnam is increasing, especially among young people, pupils and students.

Many people have used e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to illegally store and use drugs. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, police agencies nationwide detected and handled 111 cases related to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, including 33 cases with 73 subjects prosecuted for drug-related crimes.

Regarding the issue of “Tobacco tax - an effective solution to reduce tobacco use”, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, representative of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, Ministry of Health, said that tobacco is the leading cause of illness and premature death, with more than 7,000 chemicals, including 69 carcinogens.

Tobacco is the cause of more than 25 diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive diseases. According to research, the annual economic cost of tobacco use in Vietnam is up to 108 trillion VND, equivalent to 1.14% of the country's GDP.

However, tobacco taxes and prices in Vietnam are still low compared to other countries, both in the region and in the world.

According to the 2014 amended Law on Special Consumption Tax, the current tax rate on cigarettes is 75%, but the tobacco tax rate calculated on retail price is only about 38.8%, much lower than the average of middle-income countries (59%) and ASEAN countries (Thailand 81.3%, Indonesia 63.5%, Singapore 67.5%, Malaysia 51.6%).

To address this issue, Mr. Nguyen Anh Duong, representative of the Central Institute for Economic Management, said that increasing tobacco taxes is a key and effective strategy to reduce tobacco use, especially among low-income people and children.

Mr. Duong proposed that Vietnam should apply a mixed Special Consumption Tax mechanism on tobacco and increase communication about this requirement to promote sustainable economic development.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended increasing excise tax on cigarettes, with a tax rate of 70-75% on retail prices.

According to Ms. Phan Thi Hai, Deputy Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, increasing taxes will help gradually reduce the number of people using tobacco. Although the price of tobacco in Vietnam is currently quite cheap compared to other countries in the region, if taxes are increased to the recommended level, it could contribute to significantly reducing the smoking rate, especially among young people.

Also according to WHO, to achieve the goal of reducing tobacco use according to the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention, the Ministry of Health and this organization propose to add an absolute tax on tobacco products, at least 5,000 VND/pack in 2026 and gradually increase to 15,000 VND/pack in 2030.

This option not only helps reduce smoking rates but also creates a significant source of tax revenue for the national budget, forecast to increase by about VND29.3 trillion per year from tobacco taxes by 2030.

In addition, Ms. Hai also pointed out that the disease burden caused by tobacco use is huge, with more than 104,000 deaths each year in Vietnam due to tobacco-related diseases.

About 15 million Vietnamese people are smokers, and tens of millions more are exposed to second-hand smoke. Therefore, implementing measures to reduce tobacco use, especially increasing tobacco taxes, is urgent to protect public health and reduce the medical burden on society.

During the training session, experts and representatives of functional agencies also shared knowledge and skills in implementing communication work on tobacco harm prevention, aiming to raise awareness and action of the community, especially among young people and students.

These activities are expected to contribute to building a healthy, smoke-free living environment in Vietnam in the future.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tang-thue-thuoc-la-la-chien-luoc-quan-trong-giam-tu-vong-va-ganh-nang-benh-tat-d230583.html