Cigarette causes numerous dangerous human diseases such as lung cancer, cardiac infraction, arteriosclerosis and respiratory ailments. According to 1997 survey data, in Vietnam the smokers among men accounted for 50% and among women for 3.4%; it is estimated that 10% of the current population (about more than 7 million persons) shall die young of cigarette-related diseases, 3.7% of them shall die at the middle ages. According to the World Heath Organization�s forecast, by the year 2020, the number of people dying of cigarette-related ailments shall be larger than the number of people dying of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, road traffic accidents.

Apart from its harms caused to human health, cigarette smoking also causes heavy economic losses for each family and the entire society. In Vietnam, it is estimated that the cigarette industry�s contribution to the State budget has accounted for only 1/3 of the amount (about 6,000 billion VND) spent on cigarette smoking by people.

Therefore, the Government promulgates the national policies on cigarette harms prevention and combat in the 2000-2010 period.

I. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives:

To reduce the use demand, proceed to control and reduce the supply of cigarette products with a view to reducing the rates of people infected with and dying of cigarette-related ailments.

2. Specific objectives:

a) To reduce the rate of male smokers from 50% to 20%.

b) To reduce the rate of female smokers to below 2%.

c) To reduce the rate of smoking youngsters ( aged between 15 and 24) from 26% to 7%.

d) To ensure the non-smokers� right to live in a cigarette smoke- free atmosphere.

e) To reduce losses caused by cigarette to each person, each family and the entire society.

II. CONTENTS

1. Policies aiming to reduce the use of cigarette products:

a) Health education (information, education and communication):

To work out the strategy on information, education and communication in order to reduce the demand for use of cigarette products.

To supply the entire population with all necessary and accurate information on harms caused by cigarette to human health as well as the economy, and with law provisions and social norms.

To step up information, education and communi-cation activities, to build up a civilized lifestyle and cultural families in communities, particularly for youngsters, through educational activities at schools.

To guide medical workers in propagating to the patients and their relatives the necessary information on the harms of cigarette smoking as well as the effect of cigarette smoke on human health and measures to give up cigarette smoking and addiction.

b) To strictly control the cigarette advertisement, sale promotion and donation forms:

To prohibit cigarette advertisement in all forms, including the use of appellations, labels and symbols of cigarette products with products and services not related to cigarette.

To strictly prohibit the organization of marketing activities, including the use of the systems of waiters and waitresses for sale offers, the printing of labels and marks on transport means for advertisement.

To strictly abide by the trade legislation prohibiting the use of cigarettes for sale promotion and similar forms of marketing to children under 16.

To prohibit domestic organizations from receiving financial assistance for organizing cultural, art and sport activities in association with cigarette advertisement.

c) Regulation on warning against harms caused by cigarette to human health:

The warning against harms caused by cigarette to human health must be printed clearly and visibly on all packs of cigarette products. The contents of the warning must be strongly impressive and brief; to proceed to print the contents of hazardous substances (particularly nicotine and tar) on all packs of cigarette products.

d) Cigarette tax and prices:

Cigarettes are hazardous articles not encouraged for consumption; therefore, the tax to be levied on cigarette products should always be high.

The State takes measures to regulate the cigarette prices and combat the cigarette dumping.

e) Support for giving up cigarette smoking and addiction:

To encourage, apply and support measures for giving up cigarette smoking and addiction and study detoxification methods suitable to Vietnamese conditions.

To step up the training of medical workers in methods of giving up cigarette smoking and addiction, suitable to all subjects.

To apply measures to promote the roles of individuals, families, communities and the society in encouraging people to quit cigarette smoking.

f) To stipulate non-smoking places:

Not to smoke cigarettes in meetings, offices, medical establishments, schools, creches, cinemas, theatres, on public transport means, in crowded places. Places for smoking should be prescribed.

To encourage and mobilize people not to smoke cigarettes on festive occasions, in family gatherings, weddings, funerals�

2. Policies aiming to reduce the supply of cigarette products:

a) The strict control of cigarette production:

The State monopolizes the cigarette production. Only State enterprises and licensed and eligible joint ventures with foreign countries are entitled to produce cigarettes. Enterprises must not invest in the expansion or make new investment beyond their total existing cigarette production capacity.

To stop all new cooperation, production, processing or joint venture projects for cigarette production, not to increase foreign cigarette labels and marks.

To ensure all criteria on cigarette quality according to Vietnamese standards. To step by step reduce the nicotine and tar contents in all cigarette products made in Vietnam to the level in developed countries.

To strictly control the printing of cigarette labels, marks and packages in order to prevent the production of fake cigarettes or cigarettes with imitation labels or marks.

To ensure that workers of the cigarette industry work in an environment with permitted hygiene standards.

b) Management of cigarette trading:

Cigarettes are goods items subject to restricted business as provided for in the Government�s Decree No.11/1999/ND-CP of March 3, 1999: The State shall control the circulation and consumption of cigarettes on the markets, step by step monopolize the cigarette wholesale and strictly control the retail of cigarette products.

To prohibit the sale of cigarettes to people of under 18 years of age.

To enhance measures to prevent and strictly handle the production and consumption of fake cigarette products and cigarettes with imitation labels or marks.

c) To ban the import of cigarettes:

To continue implementing Directive No.278/CT of August 3, 1990 of the Council of Ministers (now the Government), banning the import and circulation of foreign cigarettes on domestic markets.

d) To combat the smuggling of cigarette products:

To step up the work of inspection, examination and strict handling of cases of violation.

To build up the movement in which the entire population voluntarily participate in the fight against the smuggling, transport, trading and consumption of imported cigarettes. To apply forms of material incentives in order to promote the movement against smuggling and trading of imported cigarettes.

To develop economic solutions and to create jobs with stable income for border population so that people shall voluntarily neither transport smuggled cigarettes nor lend a helping hand to cigarette smugglers.

3. To expand international cooperation on cigarette harm prevention and combat:

To step up the experience exchanges with countries in the world, first of all the regional countries, in working out and implementing policies and strategies to reduce the use demand and reduce the supply of cigarette products.

To mobilize bilateral or multilateral professional, technical and financial supports from various countries and non-governmental organizations for the national policies on cigarette harms prevention and combat.

4. To organize the implementation of the national policies on cigarette harms prevention and combat in the 2001-2010 period:

To work out cigarette harms prevention and combat programs for the implementation of the national policies on cigarette harms prevention and combat.

The administrations at all levels shall have to guide and supervise the implementation of the national policies on cigarette harms prevention and combat.

The ministries, branches and People�s Committees of all levels shall coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations in mobilizing people, particularly youngsters, not to smoke cigarettes and encouraging smokers to reduce and give up cigarette smoking.

To prepare and proceed to the making of the Law on cigarette harms prevention and combat.

5. To deploy the cigarette harms prevention and combat program:

The Health Minister shall act as manager of the cigarette harms prevention and combat program.

The program�s standing body is headquartered at the Ministry of Health.

Leaders of the following ministries and branches shall join the Program Management Board: The Trade Ministry, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Industry Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, the Education and Training Ministry, the Planning and Investment Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry and the Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care. The Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam Labor Confederation, the Vietnam Peasants� Association, the Vietnam Women�s Union, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam War Veterans� Association are requested to nominate people to join the Program Management Board.

The Program Management Board shall draw up and organize the implementation of the plans on cigarette harms prevention and combat for the 2000-2010 period.

6. The Government requests the ministries, the ministerial-level agencies, the agencies attached to the Government and the People�s Committees at all levels to well implement the national policies on cigarette harms prevention and combat in the 2000-2010 period.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations are requested to coordinate with the health service and concerned State bodies in mobilizing people throughout the country to actively respond to and participate in activities for cigarette harms prevention and combat, the protection of people�s health, thus contributing to improving the quality of people�s life and boosting the process of socio-economic development in our country.

On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
PHAN VAN KHAI