Ministers calls for strict enforcement of tobacco harm reduction law
The enforcement of the law on tobacco harm reduction should be promoted in ministries, branches and local authorities to reduce dangers from smoking and lower the death rate caused by smoking.
Participants ride bikes to advocate for a non-smoking life (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The enforcement of the law on tobacco harm reductionshould be promoted in ministries, branches and local authorities to reducedangers from smoking and lower the death rate caused by smoking, said Ministerof Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.
She made the call at a meeting organised in Hanoi on May 28 to respond to theWorld No Tobacco Day (May 31) and launch the national non-smoking week.
Inspections must be intensified and any violation of the law will be punishedstrictly, she said.
Theprevention of tobacco dangers in the country has gained significant results inthe past years, the minister highlighted, citing statistics that smoking amongVietnamese youths dropped to 2.5 percent from 3.3 percent in 2007 and the rate ofsecond-hand smokers among students fell by 18.8 percent. The smoking rate amongmen in urban areas also decreased by 6.6 percent.
However, easy purchase of tobaccos in public places has posed tremendouschallenges to smoking detoxification, she added.
According to Lokky Wai, the World Health Organisation Representative (WHO) toVietnam, special consumption tax levied on tobacco makes up only 40 percent ofthe retail prices in Vietnam, a very low proportion compared to WHO’srecommendation of 75 percent.
Lokky Wai called on the Government and partners to make concerted efforts toensure a healthy and sustainable environment for Vietnam by increasing tobaccotax.
He said this will help reduce smoking while scaling up state tax collection.
After the meeting, nearly 2,000 Hanoi students rode bicycles on streets andparticipated in a flash-mob event to advocate for a non-smoking life.-VNA
Vietnam will share her experience in tobacco harms prevention at the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) in India from November 7-13.
Inspectors from the Ministry of Health have started to inspect smoke-free restaurants and hotels in Hanoi as part of efforts to build a non-smoking environment in public places.
The Vietnam Women’s Union officially launched a communication campaign on the harmful effects of secondhand smoke at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 6.
Nearly 300 professors, doctors and leading oncologists have gathered in central Da Nang city to take part in a national conference on cancer prevention and control which opened on April 27.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
Participants ride bikes to advocate for a non-smoking life (Photo: VNA) 
