Stronger policy needed to prevent youths from smoking e-cigarettes

Hanoi (VNA) – It is essential to issue a stronger policy to prevent the use of e-cigarettes among youths, heard a meeting held by the Health Ministry’s Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund in Hanoi on April 7.

The event saw the participation of foreign experts and partners who have for many years been advocating and supporting the prevention and control of tobacco harms in Vietnam.

Associate Prof., Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry's Department for Medical Examination and Treatment, said that smoking is one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. Currently, the high rate of patients with cancer and stroke caused by the harmful effects of tobacco is a burden of the whole society. Therefore, the prevention and control of tobacco harms to reduce diseases and mortality caused by the use of tobacco products remains a top urgent task.

According to experts, the rate of e-cigarette smokers in the age group of between 13-17 is 2.6 percent, while that in the age group of between 15-24 years old is 7.3 percent. Therefore, without a strong policy to prevent the use of e-cigarettes and new types of tobacco, the figure will increase sharply in the near future.

During the event, both domestic and foreign experts and partners discussed a national strategy on the prevention and control of tobacco harms in the new situation.

They exchanged views on how to improve the smoking cessation consultation and treatment, prevent new kinds of cigarettes, and step up the implementation of regulations related to non-smoking areas, advertisement, promotion and sponsoring./.