Over the years, although the work of preventing the harmful effects of tobacco has been promoted, the number of smokers is still high.
More worryingly, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco are creeping very quickly into schools.
Many students see e-cigarettes as a fashion item or a way to express personality without fully aware of the health consequences.
Therefore, the core point of tobacco prevention policies is not only to help smokers quit, but more importantly to prevent the creation of new smokers.
The Ministry of Health's proposal is in line with that spirit.
If generations born from 2010 onwards are banned from buying and using cigarettes, Vietnam will gradually form a class of citizens who do not have access to nicotine from the beginning. This is an approach that many countries are pursuing to gradually reduce the smoking rate in society.
Because reality has proven that cigarettes are not only harmful to individual smokers.
Cigarette smoke is the cause of a series of dangerous diseases such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and reduced fertility.
According to the health sector, traditional cigarettes contain about 7,000 chemicals, including dozens of carcinogens and gene mutations.
Each year, Vietnam has about 103,000 deaths related to tobacco. These are losses of health, economy and family happiness.
The cost of treating diseases caused by tobacco also creates a very large burden on the health and social system.
Meanwhile, many young people are being lured by disguised advertisements on social networks. E-cigarettes are marketed as "less toxic", "not addictive", "trendy", but in fact still contain nicotine and many toxic chemicals.
Therefore, the National Assembly's issuance of Resolution 173 banning the production, trading and use of new generation cigarettes is a necessary step. And now, the proposal to continue tightening with the younger generation shows a very clear direction, protecting teenagers before it is too late.
Of course, for regulations to be effective, they cannot just stop at the law.
It is necessary to strictly control the sale of cigarettes around schools, strictly handle disguised advertising on social networks, and strengthen propaganda in families and schools.
A healthy society cannot let tobacco continue to seek "new customers" in schools and young people.
The Ministry of Health's proposal may be a strong measure, but it is a necessary strength to protect public health and the future of the race.
