Honoring musical compositions that spread messages about preventing the harmful effects of tobacco

In Hanoi, the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund (Ministry of Health) in collaboration with the Vietnam Musicians Association organized the closing ceremony and award ceremony of the "Songwriting Contest on Tobacco Harm Prevention".

The closing ceremony and award ceremony of the songwriting contest on tobacco harm prevention took place on the evening of December 6, concluding a four-month journey that attracted the participation of many authors and musicians across the country with more than 100 entries, creating a new " musical treasure" rich in propaganda value and capable of spreading widely in the community.

Dr. Ha Anh Duc - Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, Head of the Contest Organizing Committee spoke.

Attending the ceremony were Dr. Ha Anh Duc - Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, Head of the Contest Organizing Committee; People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Musicians Association, along with delegates from ministries, branches, provinces, cities, representatives of international organizations, musicians, artists and many students from Universities of Culture and Arts...

Faced with the harmful effects of tobacco as well as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products on health, the economy and the environment, strengthening communication is always one of the priority solutions in the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco, protecting public health, in which music is one of the strong emotional bridges to convey the message of health protection.

Implementing the policy of strengthening communication on tobacco harm prevention, and with the consent of the Ministry of Health's leaders, the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund has closely coordinated with the Vietnam Musicians Association to launch the "Songwriting Contest on Tobacco Harm Prevention".

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi - Vice President of Vietnam Musicians Association spoke.

The submitted works are all new compositions, seriously invested, have beautiful melodies, clear lyrics, easy to listen to, easy to sing and highly contagious. In particular, the content is very diverse, vividly reflecting the theme of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco, complying with the ban on smoking and spreading the message of a smoke-free environment.

The works do not only stop at warning about the harmful effects of tobacco, but also demonstrate sensitivity and timeliness in the new context, especially the increase and dangers of new tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products among young people, an issue raised by Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly.

"This proves that music has become a sharp propaganda tool, closely following the breath of life and the policies of the Party and State," Dr. Ha Anh Duc affirmed.

Dr. Ha Anh Duc - Vice Chairman of the National Medical Council, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, Head of the Organizing Committee of the contest awarded the First Prize to the song "No smoking! No smoking!" (Music and lyrics: Dao Minh Tam).

According to Dr. Ha Anh Duc, the closing and award ceremony is not only an occasion to honor the creativity of the authors, but also contributes to building a valuable music archive that will serve long-term propaganda work to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco.

Dr. Ha Anh Duc said that each song in the contest has a clear, accessible communication message, and will continue to be used in communication activities at ministries, branches, and localities, contributing to spreading the message of "Smoke-free life" in a close, vivid, and lasting way.

"We hope that through music, the messages of healthy living - clean living - positive living will spread strongly to every citizen, especially the young generation. This is not just a competition but a cultural mission, an action towards the future" - Mr. Duc emphasized.

The Organizing Committee awarded prizes to the authors and co-authors who submitted the most entries.

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi - Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians Association said that the topic of preventing the harmful effects of tobacco is a difficult one. However, he highly appreciated the investment of the musicians: from the distillation of musical images to the lyrics that are profound, narrative, close to life, sometimes the confidences of a wife to her husband, a child to her father, or simply the concerns of oneself.

"There were musicians who sent three works. That shows their seriousness, respect and desire to contribute to the competition. I am really touched by that dedication" - Mr. Khoi said.

The Organizing Committee awarded encouragement prizes to the authors.

The Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians Association also mentioned a common paradox among artists: many people smoke to stay up all night to compose. But because of that, overcoming one’s own limits, daring to face and write about cigarettes with the spirit of changing for the community is very valuable.

"We hope that through music, the messages of healthy living - clean living - positive living will spread strongly to every citizen, especially the young generation. This is not just a competition but a cultural mission, an action towards the future" - musician Pham Ngoc Khoi emphasized.

Delegates and members of the Organizing Committee at the closing ceremony and awards presentation of the competition.

The final results honored the most outstanding compositions. First Prize went to the song "No smoking! No smoking!" (Music and lyrics: Dao Minh Tam). Two Second Prizes were awarded to the songs "For a smoke-free Vietnam" (Music: Phan Huy Ha; Lyrics: Le Phi Hung) and "Father's Words" (Music and lyrics: Nguyen Ngoc Hoa). In the Third Prize category, five works were announced, including "Join hands to push back cigarette smoke", "Quit smoking for children", "Quit smoking with me", "Quit smoking, my friend" and "Let's quit smoking".

In addition, eight works received Encouragement Prizes and five prizes for authors and groups of authors with many entries were also awarded to recognize the creative efforts of the musicians.

The event featured cultural performances and media coverage on preventing the harmful effects of tobacco.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/ton-vinh-nhung-sang-tac-am-nhac-lan-toa-thong-diep-phong-chong-tac-hai-cua-thuoc-la-169251208082609679.htm