A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
The Indonesian Ministry of Health revealed on December 17 that other countries' efforts to increase cigarette excise can reduce consumption by 10-15%, with increasing the Retail Selling Price (HJE) of cigarettes and e-cigarettes deterring young smokers from purchasing them.
The Indonesian Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection has called on the government to strengthen regulatory measures to control tobacco products.
All tobacco products produced or imported for sale in Laos must have 75% of their cigarette packages featured with graphic health warning images from December.
The Indonesian Health Ministry's transformation communication staff member Ngabila Salama on October 16 stated that cigarettes are the root of various problems that are multidimensional in nature in the country and also the world.
A delegation from Bloomberg Philanthropies and organisations joining the charity fund’s initiative to mitigate tobacco use visited Vietnam from October 9-12.
The Cambodian Government has implemented a value-added tax (VAT) on cigarettes to combat the health risks associated with smoking and tobacco products.
The Indonesian Government is planning to tighten its relatively lax regulations on smoking in a bid to curb the increasing number of child smokers in the country.
Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in Vietnam. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, of which 69 cause cancer, participants heard at a recent online talk show to respond to World No Tobacco Day on May 31.
Eighty percent of bladder tumours are cancerous and difficult to treat, according to Dr Nguyen Hoang Luong of the urological endoscopy department at Binh Dan Hospital in HCM City.
Thailand rolled out plain cigarette packaging on September 10, becoming the first in Asia to make what is called as an effective way to reduce the appeal of smoking.
The government of Singapore plans to install 300 cameras with high definition thermal sensors across the country to detect smoking in prohibited areas, according to local media.
Smoking has created an economic burden to not only smokers and their families but also society, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien at a meeting held in response to the World No Tobacco Day in Hanoi on May 31.
Although progress has been made in tobacco control, more efforts are needed on anti-tobacco measures and reduction of deaths related to smoking in Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Health is planning to provide training on how to help local residents quit smoking for staff at ward- and commune-level People’s Committees.
The Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources has begun enforcing a ban on smoking at 24 beaches in a bid to reduce the amount of cigarette waste.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on May 16 signed an executive order banning smoking in public places nationwide to establish “smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places”.
