Smoking declines but still kills 40,000 a year

Smoking was banned from many public areas at the beginning of the year. The number of smokers in the country has slightly fallen, according to a recent survey. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhat Anh

HA NOI — A national survey released in Ha Noi yesterday showed that the number of smokers across the country has fallen slightly, but tobacco related illness and deaths continue to be a major problem.

The survey, conducted among almost 10,000 people earlier this year, revealed that 47.4 per cent of male respondents smoke, down from 56.1 per cent in 2002.

The survey also found that 1.4 per cent of female respondents smoked, down from 1.8 per cent in 2002.

More than 15 million adults smoke tobacco in Viet Nam, according to the survey, which also noted that while most Vietnamese were aware of the dangers of passive smoking, exposure to it remained very high at home, work and in public places.

Speaking at a workshop co-organised with the World Health Organisation yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said the survey results would help the ministry develop tobacco control policies.

According to the survey, services to treat tobacco dependence are not easily accessible by smokers in Viet Nam.

The survey proposed improving enforcement of smoke-free areas and expansion of services to help people quit smoking while raising public awareness on the dangers of the drug.

Regulations on raising taxes on tobacco and banning tobacco advertisements are needed for controlling tobacco in Viet Nam, according to the survey's recommendations.

Statistics from the health ministry note that Viet Nam has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. Nearly 40,000 deaths were attributed to smoking in 2008 – an annual death toll set to rise above 50,000 deaths by 2023. — VNS

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Male smoking reaches alarming rate

With almost half (47.4 percent) of adult men smoking or getting involved in other uses of tobacco, Vietnam has been put into the group of countries with extremely high smoking rates among men.

The risk of secondhand smoking is also high with 67.6 percent of the adults exposed to the risk at home and 49.0 percent at the workplace.

The highest rate of secondhand smoking was found at cafes, wine and tea shops (92.6 percent), followed by restaurants (84.9 percent) and universities (54.5 percent).

The figures were released at a workshop in Hanoi on October 27 where the Ministry of Health released the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) result related to Vietnam.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said tobacco is the cause of 25 potentially fatal diseases.

She quoted the World Health Organization (WHO) as estimating that unless Vietnam takes prompt measures to control the trend, up to 10 percent of national deaths will be of tobacco-related diseases in 2020.

Under the GATS survey conducted by WHO in 2010, in addition to male smoking, 1.4 percent of Vietnamese women smoke.

Up to 81.8 percent of smokers in Vietnam smoke daily and 26.9 percent use traditional tobacco pipes.

The ages for beginners average 19.8 years for men, 23.6 for women and 19.9 in general.

Of the 9,925 respondents aged 15 years old and upwards, 29.3 percent of smokers said they had quit the habit while 67.5 percent of current smokers said they are thinking of quitting smoking one day in the future.

As many as 71.3 percent of respondents indicate support for the policy on tax increases for cigarettes.

Mass media warnings on the risks caused by tobacco have caught public attention, according to 91.6 percent of respondents.

Vietnam has been advised to strictly prohibit smoking in public places and increase taxes on cigarettes. Bans on relevant advertisements, trade promotions and any kinds of financial support by tobacco companies should also be tightened.

The country has also been urged to intensify investment in detoxification services for smokers.

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Male smoking reaches alarming rate

With almost half (47.4 percent) of adult men smoking or getting involved in other uses of tobacco, Vietnam has been put into the group of countries with extremely high smoking rates among men.

The risk of secondhand smoking is also high with 67.6 percent of the adults exposed to the risk at home and 49.0 percent at the workplace.

The highest rate of secondhand smoking was found at cafes, wine and tea shops (92.6 percent), followed by restaurants (84.9 percent) and universities (54.5 percent).

The figures were released at a workshop in Hanoi on October 27 where the Ministry of Health released the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) result related to Vietnam .

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said tobacco is the cause of 25 potentially fatal diseases.

She quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as estimating that unless Vietnam takes prompt measures to control the trend, up to 10 percent of national deaths will be of tobacco-related diseases in 2020.

Under the GATS survey conducted by WHO in 2010, in addition to male smoking, 1.4 percent of Vietnamese women smoke.

Up to 81.8 percent of smokers in Vietnam smoke daily and 26.9 percent use traditional tobacco pipes.

The ages for beginners average 19.8 years for men, 23.6 for women and 19.9 in general.

Of the 9,925 respondents aged 15 years old and upwards, 29.3 percent of smokers said they had quit the habit while 67.5 percent of current smokers said they are thinking of quitting smoking one day in the future.

As many as 71.3 percent of respondents indicate support for the policy on tax increases for cigarettes.

Mass media warnings on the risks caused by tobacco have caught public attention, according to 91.6 percent of respondents.

Vietnam has been advised to strictly prohibit smoking in public places and increase taxes on cigarettes. Bans on relevant advertisements, trade promotions and any kinds of financial support by tobacco companies should also be tightened.

The country has also been urged to intensify investment in detoxification services for smokers./.

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WHO experts attend regional tobacco workshop

WHO medical experts and delegates from 10 regional countries are gathering in Hanoi for a three-day workshop on building a fund for tobacco harm prevention and control, and health improvement.

Addressing the opening ceremony on Sept. 14, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen emphasised smoking has greatly damaged both economies and people’s health.

The workshop is an opportunity for regional countries to discuss the fund’s benefits in improving people’s health, said Xuyen, adding that it aims to gain international support for the establishment of the fund in Vietnam .

During the workshop, participants will discuss models and mechanisms to consolidate legal and financial environments and tobacco control programmes at national and regional levels.

In Vietnam, the Ministry of Public Health is coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to devise tobacco harm prevention and control models. The ministry is also working with other relevant ministries and sectors to implement a smoke-free environment./.

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