Non-communicable diseases contribute to 73 percent of all deaths nationwide. Tobacco use is one of the major causes. (Illustrative image. Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A meting was held in Hanoion May 26 in response to the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and the NationalNo Tobacco Week (May 25-31) following the theme “tobacco and lung diseases”.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien citedthe fact that 96.8 percent of lung cancer patients in Vietnam smoke.
Non-communicable diseases contribute to 73 percentof all deaths nationwide, he said, adding that tobacco use is one of the majorcauses.
Passive smoking is also the cause of lungdiseases in children, making them suffer from health problems in adulthood, hesaid.
Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the health ministry’sdepartment of medical examination and treatment and director of the tobaccocontrol fund, said 40 cities and provinces nationwide held meetings in responseto the National No Tobacco Week.
Smoking bans have been instituted in 1,560 Stateadministrative agencies, 10,000 schools, 4,442 factories, and 508 hospitals.
Nearly 70 percent of trade unions at thegrassroots level say no to smoking at the working environment while 195,000workers gave up smoking.-VNA