Building a “Smoke-Free Vietnam”

Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health delivered the opening speech.

On May 27, the Ministry of Health organized a rally to respond to World No Tobacco Day on May 31 and National No Tobacco Week from May 25 to 31, 2023.

Attending the ceremony were Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council, Standing Member of the Inter-sectoral Management Council of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund; Dr. Angela Pratt, Chief Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Vietnam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council; Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management - Ministry of Health, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund.

The program was also attended by representatives of Central Committees, Ministries, organizations and a large number of youth union members in Hanoi.

“ We need food, not cigarettes”

In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health said that for World No Tobacco Day on May 31 this year, the World Health Organization chose the theme "We need food, not tobacco". Through this theme, the World Health Organization called on countries to promote activities to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco on health, economy, environment, food security and nutrition; mentioned the link between tobacco use, cultivation and poverty; called for quitting smoking to increase spending on food.

In Vietnam, with the attention and direction of the National Assembly and the Government, in recent times, the Ministry of Health has coordinated with ministries, branches, socio-political organizations, and People's Committees of provinces and cities to raise awareness in the community about the harmful effects of smoking, build a smoke-free environment, organize smoking cessation counseling, organize education on tobacco harm prevention (PCTH) at all levels of education, and conduct inspection and supervision work...

Tobacco control work has achieved many remarkable results: Compared to 2015, the rate of male smokers in 2020 has decreased from 45.3% to 42.3%. In particular, the rate of passive smoking has also decreased significantly in places such as: workplaces, educational institutions, on public transport and indoor areas. The rate of tobacco use among young people aged 15-24 has decreased from 26% (in 2015) to 13% (in 2020). Among students aged 13-15, the smoking rate has also decreased from 2.5% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2022.

“These are very encouraging results in preventing smoking among young people, ensuring the sustainable success of the tobacco control program,” Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan assessed.

Alarming increase in e-cigarette use

In addition to the achievements after nearly 10 years of implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, tobacco control work in Vietnam is facing a new challenge, which is the appearance of products called electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco, and shisha. These products are currently not allowed to be imported, traded, and circulated in the domestic market, however, buying, selling, and advertising are taking place widely, especially on the internet. These products are designed in a variety of styles and flavors that are very attractive to young people, which leads to the rapid increase in the use of electronic cigarettes in our country, especially among students.

“If we do not continue to implement strong tobacco control measures and promptly prevent new tobacco products in Vietnam, the rate of tobacco use will increase again,” Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan warned.

Despite the unpredictable harm, the prevention of heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes is facing many difficulties. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management - Ministry of Health, Vietnam's tobacco tax is still very low, cigarettes are sold everywhere, cheap, users can easily access tobacco products, new generation tobacco products appear (heated tobacco, electronic cigarettes) are advertised and introduced by the multinational tobacco industry with incomplete, false information and causing confusion for users, especially young people.

Dr. Angela Pratt, Chief Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Vietnam affirmed: WHO always accompanies Vietnam in preventing the harmful effects of tobacco.

Promoting tobacco harm prevention in Vietnam, Dr. Angela Pratt - WHO Representative in Vietnam stated that in Vietnam, at least 40,000 people have been killed by tobacco each year. To reduce the number of premature deaths and to achieve the goal of reducing smoking rates by 30% by 2030, there is still much work to be done.

According to her, increasing taxes and prices on cigarettes should be a priority because cigarette prices in Vietnam are currently among the cheapest in the world. This makes it easier for young people to access and start smoking. Moreover, low cigarette prices will make it more difficult for current smokers to quit.

“We also need to prevent and control the use of new tobacco products. Products are still being marketed and advertised in ways that are misleading to vulnerable young people,” said Dr. Angela Pratt.

New strategy on tobacco prevention

To further strengthen the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco in the coming time, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan informed that on May 24, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, on behalf of the Government, signed Decision No. 568/QD-TTg promulgating the National Strategy on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm to 2030, with strong and synchronous goals and solutions to enhance the effectiveness of the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco. The National Strategy on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm to 2030 will be an important orientation for the work of preventing and combating tobacco harm in the coming time.

The communication campaign "Say No to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to protect the young generation" was officially launched.

The strategy sets a general goal of reducing the rate of tobacco use and the rate of passive exposure to tobacco smoke in order to reduce diseases and deaths caused by the use of tobacco products in our country. Specifically, the goal is to reduce the rate of tobacco use in men aged 15 and over to below 36% and in women aged 15 and over to below 1% by 2030; Reduce the rate of passive exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace to below 25%, in restaurants to below 65%, in bars/cafes to below 70%, in hotels to below 50% and continue to prevent the use of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, shisha and other new tobacco products in the community.

Delegates cycle to spread the message of World No Tobacco Day and National No Tobacco Week

To implement the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention, on the occasion of the Rally, the Ministry of Health calls on ministries, branches, People's Committees of provinces and cities to continue directing the strengthening of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control and organize practical activities in response to World No Tobacco Day. The Ministry of Health wants to send a message to smokers: Quit smoking today, join hands to build a SMOKE-FREE LIVING AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT to protect the health of yourself, your family and the community.