Vietnam is set to ban the sale of cigarettes to people under 18, as also the hiring of people of this age group to sell tobacco products.
The ban will be part of a long-term national strategy to fight and prevent tobacco impacts that has just been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The strategy, to be implemented until 2020, seeks to reduce the number of smokers in the 15-24 age group to 18 per cent from 26 per cent; and the overall number of male and female smokers by 39 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.
It will also use taxes and stricter measures on cigarette trading to limit consumption.
The strategy requires the Ministry of Health to co-operate with relevant agencies and come up with specific programs and action plans to improve people's knowledge and awareness of the serious harm caused by smoking, so as to effect a gradual change in attitude to the popular habit.
A steering committee on fighting and preventing the negative impacts of tobacco consumption will be formed in each locality with the participation of all sectors.
Various financial resources should be tapped to implement the strategy, the PM has directed.
Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Health show Vietnamese males stand 15th among the highest smoking groups in the world.
A 2010 survey revealed that there were 15.3 million smokers in the country and about 8 million others exposed to cigarette smoke at work, with a staggering 47 million passive smokers at home.
About 40,000 smoking-related deaths are recorded in Viet Nam each year.
(Source: VNS)
