The eventwas organised by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), the Ministry of Healthand the Fund for Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms as part ofactivities to mark the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and the 2015National Week of No Tobacco.
It was intended topromote the rights of women and children to live in a healthy smoke-freeenvironment and pave the way for a social campaign in which women play avital role in helping family members quit smoking.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam urged everycommunity member, both males and females, to have greater responsibilityfor their own and others’ health and work together to reduce tobaccoharms to the society.
According to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO), Vietnam is currently one of the 15 countries withthe highest smoker numbers. Smoking rate among the country’s adult malesis as high as 47.7 percent or 16 million people.
Tobacco causes about 40,000 premature deaths, and health care costsand productivity loss due to tobacco use are estimated at more than 1billion USD per year in Vietnam.-VNA