On May 22, the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund (Ministry of Health) organized a workshop with the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2026 selected by the World Health Organization: "Exposing Fake Attractiveness - Action to Repel Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction" and updated the implementation of tobacco harm prevention and control policies.
According to representatives of the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund, at the 79th Session of the World Health Assembly held in Geneva (Switzerland), the World Health Organization awarded the Global World No Tobacco Day Award to 4 units under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health: the Legal Department, the Institute of Strategy and Health Policy, the Poison Control Center (Bach Mai Hospital) and the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund.
According to MSc.BS Phan Thi Hai - Deputy Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund, the award is a recognition of Vietnam's achievements in building and implementing policies to protect the community from the harms of tobacco.
This result comes from the synchronous implementation of many solutions, from perfecting the legal corridor to implementing intervention measures in practice.
One of the prominent policies is increasing tobacco taxes. It is estimated that this policy could help about 2.1 million Vietnamese people quit smoking or not start smoking by 2031, preventing about 700,000 premature deaths, and creating an additional 20,000 billion VND of budget each year.
In addition, the increase in cigarette prices also contributes to limiting access to cheap products, especially for teenagers.
In 2026, the World Health Organization chose the theme of World No Tobacco Day as: "Unmasking artificial attractiveness - Action to push back nicotine and tobacco addiction". This is a very meaningful and profoundly topical message.
According to the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund, businesses are using many new forms of promotion to create a modern, low-toxic image for nicotine-containing products, especially targeting teenagers and young women.
Promotional activities are increasingly shifting to the digital environment, social networks and through influencers, increasing the risk of access and use of nicotine in the community.
The Fund also emphasized that all tobacco products are harmful to health, are the cause of many dangerous diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, lung disease... and seriously affect those around them, especially women and children.
Each year, the world records more than 8 million deaths from tobacco; in Vietnam alone, it is estimated at about 103,000 deaths, leading to a large economic burden.
After more than a decade of implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, Vietnam has achieved many positive results, but still faces many challenges such as high smoking rates among men, the increasing trend of e-cigarettes among young people, as well as difficulties in controlling promotion in the digital environment.
Notably, the National Assembly has issued Resolution 173 to ban the production, trading and use of new tobacco products in Vietnam. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is drafting a revised Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms with more strong policies.
The workshop was attended by managers, experts, scientists and representatives of universities, with many presentations focusing on the situation, achievements and challenges, as well as proposing solutions in the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco.
