Need to severely punish people who smoke in public places

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of May 25, in Vinh city, the People's Committee of Nghe An province held a conference to deploy the plan to prevent and combat the harmful effects of tobacco in 2017-2018 and the launching ceremony of the national smoke-free week and World No Tobacco Day (May 31).

Comrade Le Minh Thong requested departments, branches, unions, districts, cities and towns to direct their affiliated agencies and units to strictly implement the provisions of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control and the Provincial Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Plan. Photo: Thanh Son

According to a global survey, Vietnam is one of the 15 countries with the highest number of smokers in the world. The overall smoking rate among adults is 23.8%, equivalent to 15.3 million people. With 7,000 chemicals, of which 69 are carcinogens. Tobacco use is the cause of more than 25 dangerous diseases. Every year, Vietnam has about 40,000 people die from diseases related to smoking, not to mention the significant health effects of 70% of women and 50% of children due to passive smoking.

In Nghe An, diseases related to the harmful effects of tobacco are also constantly increasing. The rate of patients with cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease always accounts for a high proportion among patients treated at the Provincial General Hospital, Oncology Hospital, Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital. Smoking in workplaces and in public places is still very common...

Smoking, especially in public places, is still common in Nghe An. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In 2016, the work of preventing the harmful effects of tobacco in the province achieved some remarkable results. However, there is still a large number of officials and civil servants smoking in their offices, making the propaganda about the harmful effects of tobacco still limited.

Most people are not aware of the extent of health, economic and environmental damage caused by tobacco. Violations have not been handled in accordance with the provisions of the Law.

The Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention in Nghe An province inspects tobacco prevention activities at hospitals. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The conference to deploy the plan and the launching ceremony is an event to launch a widespread propaganda campaign on tobacco harm prevention to all levels of cadres, civil servants and workers in the whole province; strengthen the implementation of a smoke-free environment according to the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention; determine the rights and responsibilities of heads of agencies, organizations and localities in directing tobacco harm prevention.

The plan to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco in Nghe An province for the period 2017-2018 sets the target: 100% of local leaders, 100% of medical units and schools, 20% of hotels and restaurants and 65% of people understand and implement the provisions of the Tobacco Control Law. During this period, there will be at least 06 inter-sectoral inspections on the implementation of the Law.

Comrade Le Minh Thong requested departments, branches, unions, districts, cities and towns to direct their affiliated agencies and units to strictly implement the provisions of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control and the Plan for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control of Nghe An Province in 2017 - 2018; press and radio agencies to strengthen propaganda of the provisions of the Law; the Department of Health to coordinate with relevant departments and branches to strengthen inspection and examination of the implementation of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control at agencies, units and public places to handle violations in accordance with the provisions of the Law./.

Thanh Son