Vietnam will promote education on tobacco prevention at schools, propose a higher tax rate on cigarettes, raise alarming bell about smoking-related diseases, and impose strict punishments on violations in smoke-free areas, state media cited a health official as saying. Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, deputy director of the medical service administration under the Ministry of Health, said the initiative was proposed by Vietnam at the 6th Regional Meeting of Smoke-free cities in the Asia-Pacific Region in the central city of Hoi An last week.
