Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - There are at least 40,000 deaths caused by tobacco-relateddiseases in Vietnam each year, heard a conference held by the Health Ministry inHanoi on December 12 to review 10-year enforcement of the Law on Prevention andControl of Tobacco Harm.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, who isalso Chairwoman of the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund,said Vietnamis the 47th out of 182 countries to ratify the World Health Organisation Framework Convention onTobacco Control. To validate the commitments upon joining the Convention, the VietnameseNational Assembly issued the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm.
She admitted that though the smoking rate has decreased, Vietnamremains among countries with a high prevalence of tobacco use, with38.9% of men aged over 15 being smokers. Exposure to tobacco smoke is still quitecommon in restaurants, bars, and crowded areas.
WHORepresentative in Vietnam Angela Pratt congratulatedVietnam on reducing the rate of tobacco use among adolescents by half, which she said is an encouraging result.
She suggested that Vietnam should increase tobacco taxes andprices. At the same time, the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) should banelectronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
On the occasion, the ministry proposed thatthe Government and the NA continue to pay attention to and soon issue a resolutionprohibiting electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and other newtobacco products to reduce the tobacco use rate./.
