On World No Tobacco Day on 31 May, WHO invites the world to celebrate the wins made in tobacco control and calls for stronger actions to fight the tobacco epidemic and protect future generations.
Tobacco costs lives, causes economic losses, contributes to environmental degradation, and poses significant threats to sustainable development. Approximately 2.4 million Cambodians, or 22 percent of people aged 15 and older, use some form of tobacco and are at a substantially increased risk of diseases, early deaths and impoverishment. Each year, tobacco causes 15,000 deaths, a third of which are among the poorest in Cambodia. As a result, Cambodia suffer annual economic losses of KHR 2.7 trillion (US$ 663 million), which is equivalent to 3 percent of Cambodia’s GDP, due to tobacco use.
Tobacco control is pro-poor, bringing disproportionate benefits to the poor. According to the WHO FCTC Investment Case for Cambodia, launched in 2019, investing in the country’s five priority tobacco control measures, namely higher tobacco taxes, smoking bans in public places and work places, plain packaging, mass media campaigns and advertising ban, will save 57,000 lives and provides a return of KHR 178 for every Cambodian riel invested, i.e. saving KHR 7.9 trillion (US$ 1.9 billion) in health costs and economic losses by 2033. In other words, tobacco control measures are highly cost-effective and wise investment for Cambodia, which helps prevent and reduce poverty, enhance people’s health and wealth, mitigate social inequality, and grow the economy, accelerating the country’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The WHO FCTC Investment Case for Cambodia findings add to the existing global evidence on the pro-poor, pro-health, and pro-economy effects of tobacco control, and gave further momentum to tobacco control in Cambodia. In recent years, with the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the support of WHO, the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC and Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, Cambodia has made significant achievements:
- Compliance to the smoke-free laws in 733 hotels/guesthouses and restaurants in 16 provinces was assessed from September 2019 to March 2021. Among them 221 hotels/guesthouses and 157 restaurants received the Smoke-Free Award in Tourism Sector for excellent compliance by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The non-compliant establishments are supported by the two ministries to establish smoke-free environments according to the laws.
- From June 2019 to 2020, 475 health staffs from health centers and district referral hospitals in 17 provinces were trained to provide tobacco cessation services and gained knowledge and skills on seven steps to quit smoking and 5A & 5R in delivering brief tobacco interventions. As a result, more smokers are able to receive brief advice at health facilities and in the communities The Ministry of Health is committed to continue the delivery brief tobacco interventions at the Primary Health Care level as part of its routine health care provision.
- 490 Tobacco Control Inspection Officers were trained and equipped with knowledge on the WHO FCTC and technical skills to enforce various tobacco control measures including tobacco advertising bans, pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages, smoke-free environments and restrictions at points of sale to conduct inspection duties at their respective provinces.
- The Government of Cambodia issued a total ban on use, sale and importation of heated tobacco products in 2021, to complement existing bans on emerging products including e-cigarettes and shisha.
- The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport issued a circular in 2021 to introduce tobacco-free policies in educational facilities, which bans the use, display, sale and advertising of tobacco products and any sponsorship or collaboration with the tobacco industry.
These achievements and other wins in Cambodia were not possible if there were not for local tobacco control partners. “Cambodia is making its good progress in tobacco control. Thanks to the Ministry of Health and respective partners for continuing and consistent actions to save lives, protect health and the economy,” says Dr Li Ailan, the WHO Representative in Cambodia. Outstanding contributions made by local tobacco control partners have gained global recognition recently. For World No Tobacco Day 2020, Dr Mom Kong, Director of Cambodian Movement for Health (CMH) received WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award. This year, Cambodia has more reasons to celebrate with two awardees; H.E (Mr) Han Kosal, Deputy Governor, Kampong Cham Province and Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Cambodia, respectively, received the World No Tobacco Day Award. With strong local allies, efforts must be further intensified to protect and build on the gains made to date, to protect the poor, young people and future of Cambodia.
More specifically, further actions are needed on the following:
- Scale up tobacco taxes to at least 75 percent of the retail price, with periodical increases to outpace inflation and income growth.
- Allocate part of tobacco tax revenues to tobacco control and pro-poor measures, such as universal health coverage, supporting tobacco farmers and workers to switch to alternative livelihoods, and other social protection schemes.
- Raise awareness among the public and policymakers of the true costs of tobacco and the enormous health and development benefits of tobacco control, particularly among lower-income people.
- Ensure all relevant sectors are engaged in comprehensive, effective, and sustainable tobacco control efforts, while protecting policymaking from tobacco industry interference.
The pandemic has amplified the significance of tobacco control; smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and tobacco taxation plays a critical role in supporting universal health coverage and social protection. Stronger tobacco control can help reduce Cambodia’s vulnerability and enhance its resilience in future health emergencies.