VietNamNet Bridge - Relevant ministries, sectors and authorities have been called upon to increase education regarding the negative affects of smoking and second-hand smoke, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said.

He made the statement during a conference to review the National Strategy on Smoking Prevention from 2000-10 in Ha Noi on May 27.

The Deputy PM urged ministries and sectors to help curb smoking at schools, strictly punishing violators who sold cigarettes to those under 18.

The Ministry of Health was asked to study foreign preventative measures and set up framework agreements with international organisations during the next five years in order to develop detoxificant drugs from domestic materials.

Authorised agencies were urged to re-examine regulations on prevention of tobacco use.

At a recent conference on HIV/AIDS prevention, held by the National Assembly Committee on Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health, health experts allocated US$17 million of the State budget to prevention programmes.

Dr Nguyen Tuan Lam, national officer for the World Health Organisation in Viet Nam, said that the country had spent only VND800 million (US$38,000) on tobacco control last year.

Health experts have proposed that a fund be set up for tobacco control and prevention as current funds for such activities mostly come from international organisations.

Tougher laws on smoking

A few days ahead of the World No Tobacco Day on May 31, WHO called on governments to take measures that will prevent premature deaths from tobacco – related diseases.

Dr Shin Young – soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said: "In our region, it is estimated that close to half of all men smoke and half of all women and children are regularly exposed to the deadly toxins of second – hand smoke at home and in public places."

"This means that about 900 million people are regularly exposed and at high risk of tobacco – related disease. This has had a significant impact, not only on health, but also on the economy of countries," Dr Shin said.

Early last year, the Vietnamese Government adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and banned smoking in public places, but only 10 people have been fined.

Viet Nam has at least 20 million smokers who spend VND14 trillion (US$680 million) on tobacco products every year.

WHO awards anti-smoking campaigner

The World Health Organisation has decided to present the WHO's World No Tobacco Day 2011 award to Dr Ly Ngoc Kinh, senior consultant and former director of the Viet Nam Steering Committee on Smoking and Health, for his efforts in controlling tobacco use in Viet Nam.

Kinh, who is also the former director of the Ministry of Health's Medical Service Administration, has contributed greatly to the successful campaign in ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Viet Nam. He also helped draft the National Action Plan for implementing the convention in 2009.

Kinh is now a member of the drafting group for the tobacco control law to be considered for approval by the National Assembly in 2012.

The WHO convention was developed to curb the tobacco epidemic. More than 170 countries have ratified the convention, of which Viet Nam was among the first batch of countries since 2004.

Source: VNS