On November 5, at the workshop “Education and Communication on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control in Schools,” organized by Education and Times Newspaper (Ministry of Education & Training) in coordination with the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund (Ministry of Health), Ms. Phan Thi Hai, Deputy Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund (Ministry of Health), stated that Vietnam records over 100,000 tobacco-related deaths each year.
Ms. Phan Thi Hai presenting awards to authors at the tobacco harm prevention workshopMs. Phan Thi Hai presenting awards to authors (Photo: P.V).
According to Ms. Hai, in recent times, the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund has closely coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Training, other ministries, sectors, and provinces/cities nationwide to implement many practical activities aimed at preventing and controlling tobacco harm among students.
Thousands of direct communication sessions have been organized in schools; hundreds of documents, videos, lectures, and communication products have been compiled and widely disseminated; many competitions, extracurricular programs, and “Smoke-free School” models have been regularly maintained.
A 10-year review report on the implementation of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control shows a significant decrease in smoking rates among adolescents. Specifically, for the 13-17 age group, it decreased from 5.36% in 2013 to 2.78% in 2019; for the 13-15 age group, it decreased from 2.5% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2022.
These are very encouraging results in tobacco harm prevention and control. However, these achievements are at risk of being undone by the rapid increase in the use of new tobacco products, mainly e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, especially among young people.
Accordingly, the rate of e-cigarette use among adolescents aged 13-17 increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023; for the 13-15 age group, this rate more than doubled, from 3.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2023. Notably, among females aged 11-18, preliminary survey results from 11 provinces show an e-cigarette use rate of 4.3% in 2023.
“These figures indicate that if we do not implement strong and decisive measures to curb e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, the achievements of the past decade could be erased,” Ms. Hai emphasized.
Within the framework of the event, the organizing committee also awarded prizes for the “Prevention and Control of Harm from Tobacco, E-cigarettes, and Heated Tobacco Products” lesson plan design competition for general education teachers nationwide in 2025.
After more than three months of launching, the competition attracted over 6,800 entries from general education teachers across the country.
Many outstanding works not only analyzed the harms of tobacco but also stimulated critical thinking, life skills, and students’ self-protection abilities. The lesson plans utilized visual images, real-life scenarios, illustrative videos, and multi-dimensional interactive methods, helping learners easily grasp, remember, and act upon the information.
The Organizing Committee honored 38 individuals and 10 outstanding collectives with top awards, and announced the conversion of excellent lesson plans into electronic materials for teaching and nationwide dissemination.
In recent years, traditional tobacco and new-generation tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and shisha are increasingly infiltrating schools.
In the context where social media and new consumer trends promote e-cigarettes as a “stylish choice,” the role of education and communication becomes particularly crucial.
Therefore, the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training, other ministries, sectors, and localities to expand communication and education activities on tobacco harm prevention and control, especially concerning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in schools, by supporting the development of teaching materials and training programs for teachers’ communication skills…
Additionally, it will replicate “smoke-free school” models and promote multi-platform communication to help students access accurate, scientific, and relatable information more easily.
