Strengthening the prevention of tobacco harms

Many remarkable results

In 2013, the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms came into effect. Over the past 10 years, all levels, sectors, organizations and unions of Nghe An province have implemented the law synchronously and seriously; implemented many solutions to change the awareness and attitudes of officials and people about the harmful effects of tobacco. One of the solutions that Nghe An has focused on implementing is to strengthen information, education and communication to raise awareness of the people, especially the young generation, about the harmful effects of tobacco.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai - Deputy Chief of Office of Nghe An Department of Education and Training said: The Education and Training sector has integrated into teaching the new set of communication, education, and prevention materials on tobacco harms compiled by the Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with the Ministry of Health throughout the province; coordinated with the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund and the Ministry of Health to organize direct communication for students at a number of high schools in Vinh city.

The Department of Education and Training has also directed educational institutions to sign a commitment between parents and schools on student management. For schools with students using tobacco, the school is required to install cameras in hidden corners to monitor and track students using these places to smoke in school... Thanks to that, recently, the situation of students smoking has decreased significantly.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thuy - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, President of the Provincial Youth Union, the propaganda about the harmful effects of cigarettes and e-cigarettes has always received special attention from the Youth Union chapters at all levels. In 2023, the Provincial Youth Union coordinated to organize the Communication Program "Say no to cigarettes, e-cigarettes and new addictive substances"; directed the Youth Union chapters at all levels to promote the Campaign "Vietnamese Youth Say No to Cigarettes and E-cigarettes"; directed each Youth Union base to build a model of a tobacco-free youth union branch and club.

Many forums and competitions to learn about and raise awareness of tobacco harm prevention among union members and young people were held enthusiastically at the Provincial Police Youth Union and Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Quynh Luu, and Nghia Dan districts.

The Health and Tourism sectors also actively promote to cadres, employees, patients and tourists to strictly implement regulations on smoke-free environments in medical facilities, tourist areas, accommodation establishments and tourism service businesses in the province.

Mr. Tran Mai Duong - Chief Inspector of the Department of Tourism said: The Department has directed tourist attractions, accommodation establishments and tourism service businesses to develop regulations to completely ban smoking in areas and measures to handle violations; disseminate regulations to employees and tourists in many forms such as posting prohibition signs, distributing leaflets; maintain communication about the harmful effects of tobacco and regulations on smoking bans; increase reminders for tourists not to smoke in places where smoking is prohibited... The Department has also increased inspection and supervision of this implementation.

Along with education and communication work, Nghe An has directed the Provincial Police and the Market Management Department to strengthen inspection, control and handling of violations in the trading of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Thereby, many violations have been detected and handled. Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong - Deputy Director of the Market Management Department said: In 2023 alone, the Market Management Department inspected 73 cases, handled 68 cases, imposed administrative fines of nearly 300 million VND, destroyed 2,530 packs of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and 50 boxes of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Need the participation of the whole community

In addition to the achieved results, Nghe An still faces many difficulties in the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco. According to the report of the Provincial Steering Committee for Prevention and Combating the Harmful Effects of Tobacco: The awareness of a part of the people about the harmful effects of tobacco is still limited, there is still subjectivity, and the effects of tobacco are underestimated. The rate of students aged 13-15 using e-cigarettes has increased to 3.5% (in 2019, this rate was 2.6%). At times and in some places, the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco is neglected and lacks determination. The situation of transporting, trading, and storing smuggled cigarettes and e-cigarettes is complicated. The work of inspecting and punishing violations in the prevention and combating of harmful effects is not substantial and lacks deterrence.

Every year, Nghe An Oncology Hospital examines and detects about 4,000 - 5,500 people with various types of cancer, of which lung cancer accounts for the highest rate; showing that the rate of smokers in Nghe An is quite high in the community.

To overcome shortcomings and improve the effectiveness of tobacco harm prevention and control, on May 24, 2023, the Government issued Decision 568/QD-TTg approving the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030. Regarding Nghe An province, on November 14, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee also issued Plan No. 861/KH-UBND on implementing the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to 2030 in the province.

Nghe An province aims to reduce the rate of tobacco use among men aged 15 and over to below 39% in the 2023-2025 period, and among women aged 15 and over to below 1.4%; reduce the rate of passive exposure to tobacco smoke at work to below 30%, at restaurants to below 75%, at bars and cafes to below 80%, and at hotels to below 60%; prevent the use of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, shisha and other new tobacco products in the community... In the 2026-2030 period, continue to deeply reduce these rates.

The People's Committee of Nghe An province has clearly stated the tasks and solutions to implement the plan and assigned responsibilities to each department, branch and relevant localities. In particular, the Department of Health is the focal point to coordinate with relevant agencies to implement the strategy. The People's Committees of districts, cities and towns develop and organize the implementation of the plan; proactively mobilize resources and allocate budgets to meet the requirements of tobacco harm prevention and control; promote inspection, examination and handling of violations... On December 28, 2023, Nghe An province thoroughly implemented the implementation of the National Strategy and Plan No. 861/KH-UBND.

According to Mr. Tran Minh Tue - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Health, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee for Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control of Nghe An province: In order for the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control to be well implemented, Party committees at all levels, authorities, departments, branches, unions, and social organizations need to continue to strengthen leadership and direction on tobacco harm prevention and control; include tobacco harm prevention and control in the annual work plans of People's Committees at all levels; include the regulation prohibiting smoking in the workplace in the internal regulations of agencies and units; include tobacco harm prevention and control in village, hamlet, and residential group conventions; build pilot models such as: Restaurants, hotels, public places, medical facilities, etc.

All levels, sectors and units need to continue to promote propaganda, mobilization and education of all classes of people on tobacco harm prevention and control... The Provincial Police, the Market Management Department, departments, sectors, localities and functional units should advise on the establishment of interdisciplinary inspection teams or integrate the inspection of the implementation of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control into the inspection programs and plans of the agencies./.