Social Affairs
Launching the anti-smoking writing contest
The Ministry of Information and Communications and the Health Ministry jointly held a ceremony in Hanoi on May 31 to launch a writing competition to combat smoking. The contest is part of activities to celebrate the World No Tobacco Day (May 31).
Professional and non-professional journalists across the country are eligible to participate in the competition. Entries will focus on tobacco-related harms, preventative measures, State policies or WHO’s plain-packaging campaign.
The competition is open for submissions until October 1. Further information can be found on www.mic.gov.vn.
The organising board will award nine stories, with one overall winner and two second place prizes.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong, who is also head of the organising board, said last competition attracted 560 high quality submissions.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hong hoped this year's contest would draw more entries.
The contest is among activities to mark World No Tobacco Day (May 31), an annual World Health Organisation (WHO) event to inform people of the dangers of smoking and the tobacco industry.
Earlier, in response to the initiative, Vietnam launched a national tobacco-free week from May 25 to 31 to continue raising the awareness of both managerial agencies and society as a whole about the harms of tobacco smoking and reinforcing the enforcement of the Law of Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms.
According to Head of the Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment Luong Ngoc Khue, Vietnam is among 15 countries with the highest number of smokers worldwide.
Smoking can cause a host of non-communicable diseases, these diseases are the cause of more than 75 percent of fatalities in Vietnam every year, Khue noted.
At present, 40 out of 63 labour federations of provinces and cities nationwide have signed commitments with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour on building a no-smoking working environment. 90% of grassroots trade unions have implemented measures towards a smoke-free working environment as of the end of 2015.
All hospitals under the direct management of the Health Ministry have set up steering committees on tobacco harm prevention, and as of November 2015, 92 percent of provincial Health Departments and trade unions in the health service signed commitments to a no-smoking environment in hospitals.
This year, the WHO is calling on countries to use plain packaging for tobacco products, with restricted use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information.
The competition is open for submissions until October 1. Further information can be found on www.mic.gov.vn.
The organising board will award nine stories, with one overall winner and two second place prizes.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong, who is also head of the organising board, said last competition attracted 560 high quality submissions.
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong speaks at the launching ceremony.
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The contest is among activities to mark World No Tobacco Day (May 31), an annual World Health Organisation (WHO) event to inform people of the dangers of smoking and the tobacco industry.
Earlier, in response to the initiative, Vietnam launched a national tobacco-free week from May 25 to 31 to continue raising the awareness of both managerial agencies and society as a whole about the harms of tobacco smoking and reinforcing the enforcement of the Law of Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms.
According to Head of the Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment Luong Ngoc Khue, Vietnam is among 15 countries with the highest number of smokers worldwide.
Smoking can cause a host of non-communicable diseases, these diseases are the cause of more than 75 percent of fatalities in Vietnam every year, Khue noted.
At present, 40 out of 63 labour federations of provinces and cities nationwide have signed commitments with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour on building a no-smoking working environment. 90% of grassroots trade unions have implemented measures towards a smoke-free working environment as of the end of 2015.
All hospitals under the direct management of the Health Ministry have set up steering committees on tobacco harm prevention, and as of November 2015, 92 percent of provincial Health Departments and trade unions in the health service signed commitments to a no-smoking environment in hospitals.
This year, the WHO is calling on countries to use plain packaging for tobacco products, with restricted use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information.
