A three-month social media campaign against smoking was launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Vietnam in partnership with key tobacco control partners in Hanoi on September 27.
The new cigarette tax rate of 5,000 VND (0.2 USD) per pack will help reduce the rate of tobacco consumption and increase the State budget, health experts have said.
Vietnamese reporters and editors were equipped with skills and information to improve their writings about long-term harmful effects of tobacco and the need to raise the tax on tobacco at a conference held in Hanoi on September 25.
Vietnam wants to learn from Argentina’s experience in campaigns to prevent harm from tobacco, alcohol and non-contagious diseases, as well as in providing initial healthcare and improving public health, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.
Vietnam has instituted many screening programmes for diabetes and pre-diabetes as part of efforts to reduce the rate of undiagnosed diabetics and protect people from cardiometabolic disorders which are intrinsically linked with diabetes and a major cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide, according to experts.
The Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has confirmed that the smoking prohibition at beaches which will reduce waste from cigarette filters and keep tourists from getting intoxicated.
Regulations imposing heavy fines of up to 7 million VND (308 USD) on those who litter in public areas have been in effect for a year-and-a-half, but the number of violators who have been discovered and fined remains modest, so most city dwellers are indifferent to the fines.
Cigarette smuggling has caused a loss of thousands of billions of Vietnamese dong each year for the State, according to figures released by the Vietnam Tobacco Association at a symposium held on July 23 in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.
The government of Singapore plans to install 300 cameras with high definition thermal sensors across the country to detect smoking in prohibited areas, according to local media.
Raising tobacco taxes could help reduce smoking and the harm it causes to women and children, experts said at a workshop held in Hanoi early this week.
Vietnam’s Health Ministry and the Fund for the Prevention of Tobacco Harms on June 26 held a meeting of the tobacco control working group, gathering representatives from key tobacco control organisations in Vietnam and its development partners.
Nearly 57 percent of people suffering from high blood pressure in Vietnam are not diagnosed, while approximately 69 percent with diabetes go untreated.
Smoking has created an economic burden to not only smokers and their families but also society, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien at a meeting held in response to the World No Tobacco Day in Hanoi on May 31.
Statistics show 15.6 million Vietnamese people above 15 years old smoke, putting Vietnam in the 3rd place in ASEAN and 9th in the world in the number of smokers.
A set of anti-smoking postal stamps was jointly issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Health at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 31.
Support hotlines have been set up and a tax hike has been mooted to tackle smoking in Vietnam, where more than 100 people are killed by smoking-related diseases per day.
Although progress has been made in tobacco control, more efforts are needed on anti-tobacco measures and reduction of deaths related to smoking in Vietnam.
The Action on Smoking and Health Foundation (ASH Thailand) has stressed on the importance of smoking control measures to discourage new smokers, help those who wish to quit smoking and protect non-smokers.
