Passive Smoking in Vietnam Reduces at Home, Workplaces: Ministry

The rates of passive smoking both at home and workplaces in Vietnam declined from 73.1% and 55.9% in 2010 to 59.9% and 42.6% last year, respectively, state media reported. The figures were reported at a conference on the implementation of the national tobacco harm prevention program in 2016 held by the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on May 11. This is the result of a survey in 2015 jointly conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization (WHO), Vietnam’s General Statistics Office and the Hanoi University of Medicine. The survey also showed the rate of people exposed to tobacco smoke at schools decreased from 22.3% to 16.1% during the period while the exposure rate in public transportation means fell from 34.4% to 19.4%. The rate of smoking among the 13-15 age group decreased from 3.3% in 2007 to 2.5% in 2014, with 90% of the young smokers expressing intention to stop. However, Vietnam is still among countries with the highest male smoking rate. (cand.com.vn May 11)