'Culture of exchange' keeps Vietnamese smoking rate high

Smoking rate in Vietnam is at alarming level

Among the current social concerns, tobacco is a prominent issue. Tobacco use has many negative impacts on public health, as well as causing financial burdens for households. However, despite many warnings and even regulations, tobacco use in Vietnam is still at an alarming level.

Over the past years, with the efforts of the Ministry of Health and other ministries, sectors and localities, the work of preventing the harmful effects of tobacco has achieved important results. However, Vietnam is still one of the 15 countries with the highest number of smokers in the world and is the third country in the ASEAN region with the highest number of adult smokers, after Indonesia and the Philippines.

Tobacco use will seriously affect human health. According to the World Health Organization, each year, about 40,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases and it is predicted that by 2030, the number will increase to more than 70,000 deaths per year if effective tobacco harm prevention measures are not implemented.

In Vietnam, there are 25 human diseases related to tobacco that are the leading causes of death, such as stroke, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Of which, the rate of patients who smoke at risk of lung cancer is up to 96.8%. Smoking not only affects health but also severely affects the economy . According to preliminary estimates by the Vietnam Health Economics Association in 2022, the total cost related to medical examination and treatment, illness and premature death due to diseases related to tobacco use is 108,000 billion VND per year.

Research report data from the Vietnam Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund shows that in 2015, the proportion of adults (aged 15 and over) who smoked cigarettes was 22.5%, of which 45.3% were men and 1.1% were women. In 2023, the proportion of adults who smoked cigarettes was 20.2% (a decrease of 2.5% compared to 2015), of which 38.9% were men and 1.5% were women. The proportion of adults who smoked cigarettes in 2023 compared to 2015 decreased, but the decrease was not significant.

Many reasons for the increase in smoking rates

According to research, the rate of smokers in Vietnam is still high, the reason is that some people turn to cigarettes to relieve mental pressure in life. Because cigarettes contain chemical substances that temporarily paralyze the nervous system. Therefore, when stressed and pressured, some individuals accidentally smoke and lead to the formation of daily habits in life. At the same time, cigarettes also contain nicotine which is addictive, so some people find it very difficult to quit smoking, and the frequency of cigarette use even tends to increase.

The next reason for the current smoking situation in Vietnam is the culture of social interaction. In the community, the seemingly simple and polite practice of offering each other cigarettes still exists, which has unintentionally exposed many people to cigarettes and gradually made them familiar. In particular, among teenagers, there is a phenomenon of smoking to express themselves and the trend of cigarettes is gradually penetrating strongly into young people, especially school-age children.

In addition to the above causes, there is a main cause leading to the increase in smoking rates because people are not aware of the serious consequences that cigarettes cause to public health.

To limit and reduce the rate of smoking in the community, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 568 dated May 24, 2023 approving the National Strategy for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030 and the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to reduce the supply and use of tobacco products. Increasing tobacco taxes according to the recommendation of the World Health Organization accounts for 70 - 75% of the retail price of tobacco products.

For the community, each individual needs to raise awareness of the serious harms of tobacco and proactively limit its use in all forms. Those who have a habit of using tobacco should find ways to replace it with supporting products such as chewing gum, lozenges, etc. Each person needs to avoid inviting or enticing others to smoke; not encourage teenagers to approach tobacco; and not to smoke in public places or in closed rooms to protect the health of themselves and those around them.

For agencies, departments and sectors, it is necessary to promote propaganda work and organize educational programs on the harmful effects of tobacco in offices, schools, etc. to contribute to changing people's awareness in a sustainable way.

Minh Trang

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/van-hoa-giao-luu-khien-ty-le-nguoi-viet-hut-thuoc-la-van-o-muc-cao-post545070.html