At the ceremony in Hanoi on May 28 marking World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and a national no tobacco week (Photo: VNA) Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry'sDepartment of Medical Examination and Treatment and Director of the VietnamTobacco Control Fund, said the number of male smokers in Vietnam drops from45.3 percent in 2015 to 42.3 percent at present.
He cited a survey conducted by the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) as showing that the prevalence of smoking among Vietnamese studentsaged from 13-17 decreased from 5.36 percent in 2013 to 2.78 percent in 2019.
Khue also pointed out difficulties in the preventionand control of tobacco harms, including the presence of e-cigarettes that areavailable on social networks and mainly target youths.
He suggested stronger tax policies to build asmoke-free environment, and stepping up the communication work to raise publicawareness of harms caused by tobacco.
On this occasion, the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund,the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and Vital Strategieslaunched a video-making contest to reduce the use of tobacco and e-cigarettes amongyoung people./.
VNA
