Nghe An consumes more than 80 million packs of cigarettes each year.

On the morning of May 28, the Provincial Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control and the Nghe An Department of Health organized the Launching Ceremony in response to "National Smoke-Free Week and World Smoke-Free Day 2019".

In Nghe An, diseases related to the harmful effects of tobacco are constantly increasing. The rate of patients with cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease always accounts for a fairly high percentage of patients treated at hospitals.

Smoking in public places, offices, hospitals and schools in Nghe An is still common. Photo: Thanh Chung

In recent years, the work of preventing the harmful effects of tobacco in the province has achieved some remarkable results such as: training and propaganda work has been promoted; public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco has been raised; agencies and units have gradually implemented the provisions of the Law on Prevention of the Harmful Effects of Tobacco...

However, the annual cigarette consumption in Nghe An is still very large, estimated at 82 - 83 million packs. Tobacco harm prevention in Nghe An is still facing many difficulties.

Doctor Dau Huy Hoan, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention launched the response to the National Smoke-Free Week and World Smoke-Free Day, speaking at the launching ceremony. Photo: Thanh Chung

The reason is that a significant number of officials and civil servants smoke in the wrong places, making the effectiveness of propaganda about the harmful effects of tobacco still limited; the majority of people are still not aware of the enormous damage to health, economy and environment caused by tobacco.

The launching ceremony in response to the “National Smoke-Free Week and World Smoke-Free Day” in 2019 is an important event to implement and launch a widespread propaganda campaign on tobacco harm prevention; strengthen the enforcement of regulations on smoke-free environments; and determine the rights and responsibilities of heads of agencies, organizations, and localities in directing tobacco harm prevention.

The Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention inspects Nghe An Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Hospital. Photo: Thanh Chung

To effectively implement the "National No Tobacco Week and World No Tobacco Day" with the theme "Tobacco and Lung Diseases", the Provincial Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control requires localities and units to focus on strengthening direction and promoting propaganda, mobilization and education on tobacco harm prevention and control.

With 7,000 chemicals, of which 69 are carcinogens, tobacco is the cause of more than 25 dangerous diseases for both smokers and non-smokers who regularly inhale cigarette smoke such as: lung cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, cardiovascular disease, obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections... 90% of the more than 600,000 people with lung cancer each year in the world are smokers. Smoking is also the cause of 75% of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.