National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030 approved, Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Vietnam is striving to reduce the rate of tobacco use among males aged from 15 to less than 39 per cent in the 2023 – 2025 period as set out in the freshly-approved National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030.

The figure among women aged from 15 is expected to decrease to below 1.4 per cent.

The strategy also aims to reduce the rate of passive smoking at work to less than 30 per cent, at restaurants to less than 75 per cent, at bars and cafes to below 80 per cent, and at hotels to below 60 per cent. The figures are hoped to drop to below 25 per cent, 65 per cent, 70 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, in the 2026-2030 period.

It also sets out tasks and solutions for the implementation, including perfecting mechanisms, policies and laws on the prevention and control of tobacco harms, strengthening the leadership of Party committees and authorities at all levels and interdisciplinary coordination related to this issue, stepping up education and dissemination, intensifying inspection, examination and handling of violations, promoting scientific research and perfecting the surveillance system on tobacco harm prevention and control.

Efforts will be made to build a roadmap to increase taxes on tobacco products to ensure that by 2030 the tax rate will reach the proportion of the retail price as recommended by the World Health Organisation; and regulate the minimum selling price of tobacco products; research and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan for calculating taxes on tobacco products on the retail price in order to achieve the goal of reducing the rate of tobacco use.

The strategy also proposes promulgate regulations on the prevention of e-cigarette products, heated tobacco, shisha and other new tobacco products in the community; and the sale of tobacco for juveniles or juveniles’ selling tobacco under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Over the past years, Vietnam has recorded encouraging results in tobacco harm prevention and control. The male smoking rate has fallen to 42.3 per cent from 45.3 per cent in 2015.

However, Vietnam is still one of the 15 countries with the highest smoking rates among male adults, heard a press conference on May 23.