Women and children have the right to live in smoke-free environment

31/07/2015
“Women and children have the right to live in a smoke-free environment” was the slogan of the meeting in response to the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and the Vietnam’s National No Tobacco Week (from May 25 to 31, 2015) jointly held in Hanoi by the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) and the Ministry of Health – Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund.

Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, representatives of leaders of different ministries and sectors, central and Ha Noi authority agencies, and foreign embassies. The meeting also attracted the participation of more than 1,000 staff and members of women’s unions at different levels in Hanoi, of Women Affairs Unit of the Army and the Women’s Association of the Ministry of Public Security, and 500 students from the Hanoi Medical University.

With 16 million smokers, mainly men, Vietnam is among 15 countries with the highest number of smokers in the world. There are about 40,000 deaths due to smoking-related diseases in Vietnam each year (i.e. about 100 deaths per day). Women and children are passive smokers, and the rates of women and children having exposure to tobacco smoke at home and workplace are 67.6% and 49% respectively. Passive women smokers have serious health impacts from tobacco which cause respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive diseases and increase the risk of preterm births and low birth-weight babies. The estimated expenditure o­n tobacco in Vietnam is VND 22,000 billion each year and the smoking related diseases cause no small economic losses.

In response to the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and the Vietnam’s National No Tobacco Week (from May 25 to 31, 2015), the VWU chose the theme “Women with non-smoking relatives – For a smoke-free environment” which is associated with the rights of women and children to live in a healthy environment. In her remarks at the meeting, VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa stated that for the past few years, the VWU has made great efforts in coordinating with related agencies and organizations to improve the community’s health and to prevent different diseases including those caused by tobacco harmful effects. The Central VWU has guided WUs at lower levels to build up and maintain the model "Women with non-smoking relatives" which is attached to VWU health care activities.

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VWU President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa addresses the meeting


Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam made the meeting enlivened by his gesture of putting his hand o­n the forehead for 30 seconds thinking and making a promise to say no to tobacco with the purpose of encouraging men to act similarly.

The Deputy Prime Minister also expected women smokers to quit smoking for their own health, for health of their relatives and future generations. He encouraged women to become active communicators o­n tobacco harmful impacts in their families, at workplaces and community, thus contributing to keeping a healthy surrounding environment.

As the head of the State management agency o­n public health, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien appreciated VWU activities in protecting the community’s health and preventing smoking and affirmed that in the time to come, the Ministry of Health would advise the Government and direct Provincial Departments of Health and hospitals to further supervise the enforcement of the Law o­n Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms. 

The meeting was followed by a march around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake by participants in response to the World No Tobacco Day and the Vietnam’s National No Tobacco Week.

 

VWU International Relations Department

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