Vietnam should not legalise the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and heated-tobacco-products (HTPs) immediately but conduct a pilot phase allowing the production, import and trading of this new-generation cigarettes in the country, officials have said.
The Thai cabinet on October 12 approved tax incentives to boost domestic consumption in a bid to revive an economy struggling with impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts voiced concerns over the alarming prevalence of e-cigarette and heat cigarette smoking among young people in Vietnam during a conference held by the Ministry of Information and Communications in Ho Chi Minh City on July 23.
Quitting smoking would help create a healthy environment for each individual, family and society, said Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son at a meeting held in Hanoi on May 29 to respond to World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and National No Tobacco Week (May 25-31).
An online contest on tobacco harm prevention was launched across Vietnam from now till May 31 to celebrate World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and National No Tobacco Week 2020 (May 25-31).
Malaysia is considering banning the sale of electronic cigarettes following reports of deaths in the US linked to e-cigarettes, said the country’s Minister of Health Dzulkefly Ahmad on October 14.
Indonesia will raise the minimum price of cigarettes by an average of 35 percent from January next year, as part of the country’s efforts to reduce smoking rates.
Thailand rolled out plain cigarette packaging on September 10, becoming the first in Asia to make what is called as an effective way to reduce the appeal of smoking.
May 31 of every year is World No Tobacco Day. The Thai Ministry of Public Health this year will again join hands with partner agencies to organise campaigns encouraging Thai people to quit smoking.
Vietnam has seen a marginal 2 percent decline in the number of cigarette smokers since the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control took effects six years ago, heard a conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 10 to seek measures to improve the efficiency of the law’s implementation.
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 Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) plans to publish a list of e-commerce websites and mobile applications that violate laws and regulations on online trading.
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.
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.
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