Reports by the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that tobacco use is a cause of 28 groups of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and reproductive health problems. Tobacco is also responsible for more than 8 million deaths worldwide each year, including around 1.6 million cases caused by second-hand smoke.

“Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction” is the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2026 selected by the World Health Organisation (WHO), aiming to warn about the harmful impacts on health, the methods used to attract a new generation of users, especially children and adolescents, as well as the tactics used by tobacco corporations to evade increasingly strict global control measures.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc has signed Directive No. 25/CT-TTg on strengthening efforts to combat the smuggling, transportation, production, trading, storage and illegal use of tobacco products under the new circumstances.

The introduction of a mixed excise tax on tobacco from 2027 is expected to help guide consumption, protect public health and increase state revenue. However, it also raises the risk of rising illicit tobacco trade, requiring coordinated and decisive enforcement measures.

Viet Nam remains among the top 15 countries worldwide with the highest rate of smoking among men, with more than 15 million users. Therefore, the need to add “risk factor reduction” to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms has become increasingly urgent.