Hanoi (VNA) – Smoking has created an economic burden to not onlysmokers and their families but also society, said Minister of Health Nguyen ThiKim Tien at a meeting held in response to the World No Tobacco Day in Hanoi onMay 31.

Minister Tien highlighted that non-communicable diseases contribute to 73percent of all deaths nationwide and smoking is one of the major causes.

“Tobacco smoke costs Vietnamese smokers 31 trillion VND (1.36 billion USD) peryear,” she said.

Meanwhile, treatment for five major diseases - lung cancer,gastrointestinal-respiratory cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,heart attack, and stroke, caused by smoking, are estimated at 24 trillion VND (1.05billion USD), she noted.

“Prevention of smoking is challenging as tobacco is an addictive product and givingup smoking is difficult if the smokers are not determined.”

In Vietnam, more than 47 percent of Vietnamese men smoke and as many as 30million people are regularly exposed to smoking every day, reported Head of theDepartment of Medical Examination and Treatment Luong Ngoc Khue.

According to Dr. Kidong Park, World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative inVietnam, Vietnam is among the top 15 countries offering the lowest prices fortobacco. One pack of cigarette ranges between 6,000 VND and 20,000 VND.

The low prices of tobacco products result from the country’s low tax levied ontobacco. The tax per retail price in Vietnam is over 35 percent, compared tothe world average of 56 percent and the WHO’s recommendation of 70 percent.

He recommended that Vietnam should apply the special consumption tax of 2,000VND to 5,000 VND on a pack of cigarettes as part of efforts to reduce the smokingrate among Vietnamese men from 47 percent to 39 percent by 2020.

The same day, a workshop was held on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Dayby the Ministry of Health and Bach Mai Hospital.

Forty five percent of the under-five children having medical checkups at thehospital were exposed to smoking and 93 percent of the pregnant weresecond-hand smokers, according to a study conducted by Bach Mai hospital.

Experts said that smoking makes it harder for women to get pregnant. Women whosmoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a miscarriage as well.

According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, all 63 provincesand cities in Vietnam have developed non-smoking areas, while 1,200 trainingcourses on non-smoking have been held.

Smoking bans were instituted at 1,200 schools nationwide, and 51,000 labourershave given up smoking.-VNA