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First of all, let me thank the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF) and Bloomberg Philanthropies for organizing this important meeting in the beautiful city of Da Nang. It is a pleasure to be here with all of you this year.
And second, I want to say a very, very big congratulations – and thank you – to everyone in this room, for what has been a truly historic year in tobacco control, with:
- the ban on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products adopted by the National Assembly in November last year, and
- approval of the revised Excise Tax Law passed by the National Assembly in June, which will see significant tobacco tax increases in the coming year.
I want to take a moment to reflect on the impact that these two milestone decisions will have for health in Viet Nam:
- , the ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, once fully enforced, will protect every young person in this country from the known and serious harms of using – and becoming addicted to – these products. And let’s be really clear – that’s who the manufacturers of these products are focused on. To strike such a powerful blow against the industry peddling these products to young people is truly remarkable;
- and second, the tax increases will protect literally millions of people from the risk of a tobacco-related death. Our (WHO) modelling projects that the tax changes to come into effect in the next few years will help 2.1 million people in Viet Nam quit or avoid smoking by 2031, and prevent 700,000 premature deaths over the coming decades. Many of those people who quit or avoid starting smoking will also be younger people. Again, what an incredible win for public health.
These victories would not have happened without the leadership, commitment and the courage of Vietnam’s leaders and decision-makers, from the Health Minister herself, to the broader MOH, the Ministry of Finance, the Government Office, and the National Assembly.
So, to all of them, represented by Dr Duc and VNTCF today, thank you. We know it is not easy advocating for strong tobacco control policies – it is difficult to get multiple government stakeholders on board, AND it’s really difficult to fight against the tobacco industry. Because the stronger the policy you are advocating for, the more fierce the tobacco industry’s resistance to it.
I also really want to express my very deep gratitude and appreciation to all of the partners here today.
I’ve now had the privilege of being involved in tobacco control efforts in three different countries – my home country of Australia where I worked on the development of our world first plain packaging laws, in China where we supported city-level smoke-free laws in Beijing and Shanghai, and now here in Viet Nam with the work on these two big policy victories.
If there is one thing that all of those successful efforts have had in common, it is teamwork.
And the Viet Nam Bloomberg tobacco partnership is a truly exceptional team. So, thank you all – for your hard work, collaboration, cooperation, sharing of strategic information and intelligence, camaraderie, and long-term commitment (especially the folks who have been working on tax – which I know has been a really, really long-term effort).
For WHO’s part, we’re of course proud to have been involved in supporting these efforts – and absolutely committed to continuing to play our part into the future.
Of course, as much as I hope we can take a few moments to celebrate these recent victories today, we cannot stop here – clearly, our tobacco control work in Viet Nam is not yet done.
So, with that in mind, allow me to spend a moment sharing my humble suggestions for what we should collectively prioritise into the future.
- First is supporting strong enforcement of the current ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. I often say to my team that the adoption of the policy is not the end but only the beginning – it is the implementation and enforcement of the policy that actually delivers the public health outcome. So, we should keep celebrating the policy win, for sure, but we really have to stay focused on the implementation to actually deliver the public health outcome we want.
- Second, on a similar theme, we need to ensure full implementation of the excise tax roadmap, with ongoing technical support to the MOF, and regular monitoring and evaluation. We have to stay vigilant – and ensure no exceptions, no special carve-outs, no loopholes that would weaken the consumption effect of the tax changes.
- Third, I think it is time for another look at where we need to strengthen other aspects of MPOWER in Viet Nam, including:
- smoke-free – for example, strengthening enforcement through new, better initiatives and approaches on enforcement and public awareness,
- pack warnings – including increasing the size and updating graphic images, and
- expanding cessation support, making it easier for Viet Nam’s 15 million smokers to quit. The tax changes will help with this by making smoking less affordable – but we also need to provide support to treat the nicotine addiction.
Importantly, as you all know the Tobacco Control Law is scheduled for revision next year. This obviously presents a critical opportunity to strengthen the legal framework for tobacco control, help to insulate it from industry interference and advance some of these important priorities.
So, thank you for the opportunity to say a few words this morning, and more importantly – thank you all again for your hard work, and your partnership. I’m looking forward to continuing to fight the good fight with all of you in 2026 and beyond.
Xin cảm ơn!