The rate of smokers aged 13-15 in Vietnam fell by 1 percent from 3.3 percent in 2007 to 2.5 percent in 2014, according to a related survey by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

A parade to popularise the harmful impacts of tobacco.

The figure was revealed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen at a workshop to build up plans to prevent and control tobacco impacts in Hanoi on December 15.

Up to 90 percent of responded student smokers intended to quit smoking, she added.

Thanks to the support of the Tobacco Control Fund, tobacco control steering committees have been established in 58 cities and provinces.

Counselling for smoking cessation has also been provided at six hospitals across the country and will be expanded at four more hospitals in the near future.

Bach Mai hospital, one of the largest in Vietnam and among these six hospitals, received more than 8,000 calls seeking counselling for giving up smoking from June and October this year.

Several resort cities, such as Hue, Nha Trang, Hai Phong, Ha Long and Hoi An, have been responding to the non-smoking city model.

Local authorities fined 241 organisations and 32 individuals who violated the Law on Tobacco Control for 77 million VND (3,416 USD) in the last two months of 2015.

According to WHO, tobacco kills nearly six million people every year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from second-hand smoke.

In Vietnam, tobacco claims more than 40,000 lives and huge healthcare cost. Productivity loss due to smoking are estimated at more than 1 billion USD per year.

Cigarette detox, consultation centres improved next year

Consultations about cigarette detoxification via telephone and at medical stations and hospitals will be improved.

That's one of the targets of the Viet Nam Tobacco Control Fund's action plan for next year which was declared in a conference held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Last year, the fund supported the Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital to found a cigarette detoxification consultation centre.

During the past year, the centre gave training on cigarette detoxification for more than 800 medical workers from 63 provinces and cities across the country.

The fund also set up the hotline 1800-6606 at the Bach Mai Hospital to give consultations on the issue. So far the hotline has received more than 8,000 calls.

This year, the fund will support 10 other hospitals across the country to open cigarette detoxification centres. The centres' work will be supervised and then expanded to other localities. The fund will improve the work of the hotline.

The fund's action plan has five other targets including raising people's awareness on the harm of cigarettes, expanding no-smoking models in offices and supervising the implementation of the Tobacco Control Law.

Associate professor Luong Ngoc Khue, director of the fund and director of the Medical Services Administration, said that last year the fund met some obstacles due to a manpower shortage and lack of co-operation between upper and lower levels at several provinces.

He proposed to enroll more workers to the fund's management office to ensure the fund's work process and quality.

People's Committees at provinces and cities should improve their inspection on the implementation of the Tobacco Control Law, especially the regulation of a smoking ban in public places, he said.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said that the rate of using cigarettes by youths in the country decreased from 3.3 per cent in 2007 to 2.5 per cent last year.

As many as 90 per cent of youths using cigarette have the intention of giving up smoking.

It meant that cigarette usage had been prevented and is decreasing, she said.

The model of no-smoking tourism cities was conducted at many places such as Hue, Hai Phong, Hoi An and Nha Trang.

VNA/VNS