HANOI – On May 1, stricter
laws aimed at reducing smoking will go into effect in Vietnam, Xinhua reports.
The measures also will control the sale of tobacco.
The emphasis of the new
laws will be on making sure smoking bans in schools, hospitals, government
buildings and agencies are followed. Advertisements and marketing of cigarettes
will also be reviewed.
In a separate move, the
Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade will cap tobacco traders at 1,000 by
2015, with another 760 licensed between 2016 and 2020. Between 2016 and 2020,
the ministry would grant licenses at the ratio of one tobacco trader for every
50,000 citizens.
The Ministry of Health
released new fines on underage smoking and lighting up in smoke-free zones.
Venues with smoking bans would also be fined for failure to post “No Smoking”
signs. The health ministry also posted hefty fines for tobacco products without
health warnings about smoking. Those fines will be approved by the Vietnamese
government before May 1.
The new fines and laws reflect the Prime
Minister’s push to tighten restrictions on smoking and tobacco products by
2020. The government’s goal is to lower smoking among 15 to 24 year olds from
26% to 18%, while dropping the male adult smoking rate from 47.4% to 39%.