Tobacco prevention fund founded
VGP – The PM has given a green light to the establishment of a tobacco prevention fund in accordance with the Law on Tobacco Prevention and Control.
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The fund is set up from compulsory financial contributions of tobacco producers and importers, voluntary donations of domestic and foreign offices, organizations and individuals and bank deposit interests.
The non-profit fund will oversea the mobilizing, supplying and coordinating of financial resources in favor of tobacco prevention and control nationwide.
It supports anti-tobacco activities such as communications programs to spread over the negative effects of tobacco to specific groups, establishing pilot smoke-free areas and duplicating effective anti-smoking models.
In addition, the fund will back community-based campaigns and initiatives to support addicts in giving up smoking.
According to the World Health Organization, Viet Nam has 15 million smokers and is one of 15 countries with the highest rate of cigarette smokers in the world (48% for men and 1.4% for women).
Tobacco kills 40,000 people every year in Viet Nam, and the figure is expected to rise to 70,000 a year to 2030, according to local media reports../.
By Kim Loan
