Vientiane World No Tobacco Day walk highlights harms of tobacco and e-cigarette use

A public walk today in Vientiane, hosted by HE Dr Snong Thongsna, Vice Minister of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), provided health officials with the opportunity to reinforce improving awareness on the serious health impacts of tobacco and e-cigarette use, and draw attention to the needless loss of life caused by these products.

Vice Minister Dr Snong Thongsna joined representatives from Ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, schools, and hundreds of other attendees at That Luang Lake, to mark the global World No Tobacco Day – now in its 35^th year – that takes place annually on 31 May.

Speaking at the event, Dr Snong Thongsna said: “Tobacco use in Lao PDR means more than 17 lives are lost every day, completely preventable, with an annual cost to our economy of 3.6 trillion Lao Kip. Tobacco use causes lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and many other lethal impacts, while second-hand smoke harms smoker’s family and friends.”

“Meanwhile, we are seeing an increasing use of e-cigarettes, vapes and other electronic nicotine products. The producers of these products target young people with child-friendly flavours and advertising. These products are not safe for the users or those around them. They contain toxic chemicals, and an ever-growing body of evidence shows they increase the risk of heart and lung disease, impact brain development, and are highly addictive.”

“Lao PDR has made impressive progress in tobacco control and protecting health, with progressive laws and the government’s strong leadership” said WHO Representative Dr Ying-Ru Lo. “Next, we need to ensure those laws are fully enforced to prevent the needless loss of life.”

“Unfortunately, e-cigarettes and similar products remain available online and in markets – we want to ensure people are fully aware of the harms they cause, and of the recent ban. With all members of the community working together – retailers, market associations, police and customs – we can ensure everyone, everywhere is protected from the calculated and harmful efforts of the tobacco industry.”

This year, Lao PDR’s National Assembly received a global World No Tobacco Day award from WHO for its world-leading legislation, including the 2021 ban on the production and sale of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and shisha. Lao PDR is one of more than 30 countries to introduce such legislation.