Ha Tinh responds to World No Tobacco Day

On the morning of May 30, the Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention of Ha Tinh province organized a rally and parade in response to World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and National No Tobacco Week (May 25 - 31, 2025).

This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen the message “Exposing the allure of falsehood” as the theme for World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

Through this theme, WHO emphasizes that World No Tobacco Day 2025 is an opportunity to expose the tricks that tobacco corporations around the world use to promote and market addictive products, as well as to point out false advertising tricks that deceive people, making tobacco products more attractive, especially to children and adolescents. It is this "false appeal" that is bringing children closer to the risk of nicotine addiction every day, seriously affecting their physical and mental health.

Deputy Director of Health Department Duong Cong Lu delivered the opening speech at the rally.

Globally, an estimated 37 million children aged 13–15 use tobacco. In many countries, e-cigarette use among adolescents has surpassed adult use.

In Vietnam, the rate of cigarette use among adult males has decreased but remains high at 41.1% in 2021. Notably, the rate of e-cigarette use among adults has increased from 0.2% (in 2015) to 3.6% (in 2020), with the 15-24 age group accounting for the highest rate at 7.3%.

In Ha Tinh, in recent years, many positive results have been achieved in the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco. Specifically, activities to build smoke-free schools, medical facilities, agencies, tourist areas, hotels, and restaurants have been deployed and expanded. Leaders of People's Committees at all levels have paid more attention to the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco through strong direction and clear assignment of responsibilities to relevant departments, agencies, organizations, and individuals.

However, tobacco prevention and control in Ha Tinh still faces many difficulties because some people are not aware of the huge damage to health, economy and environment caused by tobacco. In particular, many people do not see the harmful effects of tobacco as the cause of many dangerous diseases.

At the rally, the leaders of the Provincial Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control requested that sectors and localities continue to direct the strengthening of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and organize practical activities in response to World No Tobacco Day, while calling on people to quit smoking for the health of themselves, their families and the community.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union Tu Tuan Phuong called on youth union members to say no to cigarettes.

Localities and units need to strengthen education and integrate tobacco harm prevention activities into movements such as: building new rural areas, civilized urban areas, "All people unite to build a cultural life"... At the same time, it is necessary to replicate models of smoke-free communes, wards, towns, agencies and units; include tobacco harm prevention content in annual activity plans; include regulations prohibiting smoking in the workplace in the internal regulations of agencies and units; promote inspection, examination and handling of violations in tobacco harm prevention...