The Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control of Hoa Binh province, in coordination with the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund, held a ceremony on May 28 in response to the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and the National No Tobacco Week (from May 25 to 31). The event was chaired by Nguyen Van Toan, Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and head of the Steering Committee.
A parade held in response to the
World No Tobacco Day(May 31) and the NationalNo TobaccoWeek
in Hoa Binh city.
For this year’s World No Tobacco Day (May 31),
the World Health Organisation (WHO) chose the theme "Unmasking the Appeal:
Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products”, aiming to expose
the deceptive tactics used by global tobacco companies to falsely promote their
products as harmless. These misleading strategies are designed to attract
users, especially young people.
In Vietnam, nearly 7% of the population, 15
million people, currently smoke, causing a burden of disease and premature
death, with an estimated more than 100,000 tobacco-related deaths each
year and economic losses of about 108 trillion VND due to medical treatment
costs, loss of labour, and premature death.
After more than 10 years of enforcing the
Law on Prevention and Control of tobacco harms as well
as other efforts, the rate of cigarette smoking among adult males in Vietnam
has decreased by an average of about 0.5% per year. This rate among adolescents
has also shown a downward trend. Additionally, the exposure to secondhand smoke
has significantly declined in households, public places, and workplaces.
Addressing the event, Toan called on officials,
Party members, civil servants, students, and people from all social strata
across the province to take concrete action to prevent tobacco harms.
The Vice Chairman urged stronger communication
campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of tobacco use, appealing
for smoke-free environments at households, workplaces, and schools.
Meanwhile, relevant authorities and local
sectors were tasked with stepping up inspections and strictly handling
violations related to the illegal advertising, sale, and use of e-cigarettes,
especially in sensitive areas such as schools and hospitals. He asked the
entire political system and society to join hands in creating a smoke-free
environment, thus safeguarding both public health and the future of every
individual.
At the ceremony, representatives of units under
the provincial Department of Health delivered remarks and took part in a parade
on the thoroughfares of Hoa Binh city in response to the World No Tobacco Day
and the National No Tobacco Week.
