Hanoi (VNA) – Representative of the World Health Organisation(WHO) in Vietnam Angela Pratt has called on the country to raise tobacco taxand prices, which are still among the world’s lowest.

She made the appeal at a ceremony held in Hanoi on May 27 in responseto the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and the National No Tobacco Week (May 25 -31).

She pointed out that Vietnam loses at least 40,000 lives totobacco each year, and there remains much to be done to reduce the number ofpremature deaths from tobacco use and achieve the target of bringing the smokingrate down by 30% by 2030.

The WHO official held that it is necessary to prioritise increasingtobacco tax and prices, which are still among the world’s lowest. The low taxand prices have facilitated young people’s access to and use of tobacco whilemaking it more difficult for smokers to quit the practice.

It is also important to prevent and control the use ofnew-generation tobacco products, Pratt said, adding that these products arestill sold and advertised in the ways causing misunderstanding among thevulnerable youth.

In his remarks, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan citedWHO statistics as showing that tobacco use kills about 8 million peoplearound the world each year, including some 1.2 million as the result ofnon-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

Over the past years, Vietnam has recordedencouraging results in tobacco harm prevention and control. The male smokingrate fell to 42.3% in 2020 from 45.3% in 2015. Particularly, the rate ofexposure to secondhand smoke has dropped considerably in such places asworkplaces, schools, public transport vehicles, and indoor areas.

The rate of tobacco use among people aged 15 - 24 declined to13% in 2020 from 26% in 2015. It also decreased to 1.9% in 2022 from 2.5% in2014 among those aged 13 - 15, he went on.

However, Thuan pointed out, Vietnam is still among the countrieswith a high number of smokers. Besides, such products as e-cigarettes, heatedtobacco products, and shisa, which haven’t been licensed in Vietnam, haveemerged in recent years. The trading and advertising of these products arepopular, especially on the internet.

Therefore, if strong and timely measures against tobacco harmsor new-generation tobacco products are not continued, the smoking rate maybounce back, he warned.

This year’s World No Tobacco Day is themed “We need food, nottobacco”, appealing to countries to promote activities raising public awarenessof tobacco harms to health, the economy, environment, and food and nutritionsecurity; point out the relationship between tobacco use, planting and poverty;and urge quitting smoking to increase spending on food./.