Every year, 8 million people die globally due to tobacco use. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the total cost of medical examination and treatment, illness and premature death due to tobacco-related diseases is 108,000 billion VND/year.
On May 26, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Health coordinated with the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Vietnam to hold a rally in response to World No Tobacco Day (May 31) with the theme "Protecting children from the impacts of the tobacco industry" and the National No Tobacco Week from May 25 to May 31.
At the event, Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, made two recommendations: banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products and increasing tobacco taxes will help Vietnam achieve its health program goals and international commitments to sustainable development goals.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan stated that the use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, is the cause of disease and economic burden. WHO estimates that each year, globally, there are more than 8 million deaths related to tobacco use. For our country, research by the Vietnam Health Economics Association shows that the total cost related to medical examination and treatment, illness and premature death due to tobacco-related diseases is 108,000 billion VND/year.
Currently, the smoking rate among Vietnamese adolescents has decreased significantly, in which the 13-17 age group has decreased from 5.36% in 2013 to 2.78% in 2019; in the 13-15 age group, it has decreased from 2.5% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2022. "However, these achievements are at risk of being destroyed by the rapid increase in the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Especially among young people, in the 13-15 age group, the rate has doubled from 3.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2023," the Minister of Health warned, saying that the tobacco industry must stop targeting children and adolescents with products that are harmful to their health.
MINH KHANG
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/who-khuyen-nghi-viet-nam-can-cam-thuoc-la-dien-tu-va-tang-thue-thuoc-la-post741681.html
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