Vietnam sees just 2 percent decrease in smokers after 6 years
Vietnam has seen a marginal 2 percent decline in the number of cigarette smokers since the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control took effects six years ago, heard a conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 10 to seek measures to improve the efficiency of the law’s implementation.
HCM City (VNA) – Vietnamhas seen a marginal 2 percent decline in the number of cigarette smokers sincethe Law on Tobacco Harm Preventionand Control took effects six years ago, heard a conference held in Ho Chi MinhCity on May 10 to seek measures to improve the efficiency of the law’simplementation.
According to Hoang Thi Huong from the Ministry of Health, Vietnamis among 15 countries with the highest ratio of cigarette-smokers in the world,with about 17 million smokers. Up to 45 percent of mature men and 1.1 percent ofmature women are smokers.
The number of passive smokers is about 33 million, she said,stressing that each year, about 40,000 people die of cigarette-relateddiseases, much higher than those losing their lives due to traffic accidentsand HIV/AIDS.
However, public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco remainsmodest and smoking in public places is still popular. As such, after six yearsof realising the law, the ratio of smokers declined by a minimal 2 percent,Huong stressed.
Dr Nguyen Trong An, Vice Director of the Research andTraining Centre for Community Development, said that in Vietnam, tobacco is aproduct that is easy to buy and be seen, with lower prices than other countriesin the region and no special consumption tax.
He pointed out that in 2015, the tobacco industry onlycontributed some 15 trillion VND (642.85 million USD) to the state budget,while the amount that people spent on cigarettes was 55 trillion VND (almost2.36 billion USD), and the money spent for treatment of cigarette-causeddiseases was 24 trillion VND (1.02 billion USD).
An held that in order to reduce the ratio of smokers, it iscrucial to apply a special consumption tax on tobacco products and raise theirprices to reduce consumption.
Meanwhile, Ngo Huy Toan from the Ministry of Information andCommunications said that the advertisement of cigarettes in mainstream mediahas been limited. However, the ads are still popular online and in restaurantsand hotels, he said.
The showcasing of cigarettes in shops has not been deterred,not to mention tobacco firms’ measures to take advantage of legal loopholes toconduct advertisement and marketing of their products, Toan added.
He proposed stricter measures in the implementation of the Lawon Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control in the future, along with the enhancementof communications to raise public awareness on the harmfulness of cigarettes tothe health of both smokers and the wider community.–VNA
The Smoke-free Cities ASEAN Network (SCAN) convened the 6th regional meeting in Hoi An city, the central province of Quang Nam, on November 20, focusing on reshaping tourism through smoke-free environments.
Tourism managers and experts all affirmed the need to build a smoke-free environment to develop tourism in Hanoi at a conference in the capital city on March 20.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) 
