Prioritize protecting young people from the new tobacco 'epidemic'

(Chinhphu.vn) - At the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC (November 17-23), the WHO has issued strong warnings about the trend of exploiting the concept of "harm reduction" to promote products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and new tobacco and nicotine products, causing confusion in the community.

Vietnamese delegation attends conference in Switzerland - Photo: VGP

This information was provided by the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health from this conference taking place in Switzerland. This conference was attended by more than 1,400 delegates from 162 countries.

The conference, themed "20 years of change - connecting generations for a tobacco-free future", aims to emphasize that protecting young people from the growing penetration of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and new tobacco and nicotine products is a top global priority.

According to the Ministry of Health , the use of the concept of "harm reduction" to promote tobacco products is contrary to genuine harm reduction programs in other public health sectors, where health agencies and professionals pursue health goals by implementing evidence-based strategies and interventions that are closely controlled and monitored.

These products commonly include electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and smokeless tobacco products.

According to the Ministry of Health, the high and increasing rate of e-cigarette use among young people is a cause for concern. The latest trend data from WHO shows that more than 15 million children aged 13-15 are using e-cigarettes and children aged 13-15 are nine times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults.

According to the conference recommendations, governments can best protect people's health by fully implementing comprehensive tobacco control measures to reduce demand and supply for all tobacco, nicotine and related products.

At the same time, educate the community and provide cessation support through proven methods, such as nicotine replacement therapy and toll-free smoking cessation helplines, which have been evaluated by competent authorities and proven to be safe and effective.

In parallel, ban the sale of products through remote forms, including digital platforms commonly used by children and teenagers, to control the supply chain...

Attending this conference, the Vietnamese delegation included delegates from the Ministry of Health, the Government Office, the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society, the Ministry of Finance, etc., led by Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund.

According to Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Vietnam completely agrees with the WHO's view that all tobacco products, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other new tobacco products are harmful and addictive. In the context of new tobacco products spreading rapidly among young people, our mission is to protect future generations with strong, decisive policies based on scientific evidence.

Hien Minh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/uu-tien-bao-ve-gioi-tre-truoc-nan-dich-thuoc-la-moi-102251121100301945.htm