Tobacco use is causing nearly 6 800 deaths, and costing 3.6 trillion Lao Kip, each year in Lao PDR – and is completely preventable – says a group of regional and international health experts visiting Vientiane this week to discuss stronger tobacco control measures. The visit and discussions are in support of the recently revised National Tobacco Control Law in alignment with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
Working with the Ministry of Health and other Ministries, the group is meeting stakeholders to discuss tobacco taxes, regulation of the tobacco industry, newer types of tobacco and nicotine products including e-cigarettes, health communications, inter-sectoral collaboration, and product packaging and labelling.
Welcoming the mission, Vice Minister of Health H.E. Dr Snong Thongsana, said: “The Ministry is fully committed to living up to Lao PDR’s obligations under the WHO FCTC by strengthening implementation of tobacco control laws and policies, and ensuring they are fully enforced, to save lives. One life is far too many to lose to tobacco. We are exploring ways to tackle newer types of nicotine and tobacco products, reduce their availability and use and further accelerate tobacco control measures to protect our communities and support the achievement of the United Nations sustainable development goals.”
A key topic has been a recent tobacco control report/investment case developed by the agencies joining the mission and the Ministry of Health. It outlines ways to avoid incurring 10 trillion Lao Kip in economic and health costs over a 15-year period with stronger tobacco control efforts and how to address obstacles put in place by the tobacco industry.
WHO FCTC Secretariat Senior Legal Officer Kate Lannan highlighted some of the challenges faced:
“Lao PDR has the lowest tobacco tax rate in ASEAN as well as in the WHO Western Pacific Region. We know sharp rises in cost are one of the most effective ways of discouraging tobacco use, and tax and price increases will protect communities in Lao PDR from serious disease and premature death, as well as generating important government revenue.”
“In 2016, Lao PDR introduced requirements for graphic image health warnings on cigarette packaging. Tobacco companies seriously delayed implementation—a common industry tactic around the world to impede implementation of effective tobacco control measures. We need to implement without delay important measures like standardized tobacco packaging as per the National Tobacco Control Law, in order to save lives.”
“While Lao PDR has taken the noteworthy step of becoming one of more than 30 countries globally to ban the sale of e-cigarettes, they are marketed online on social media and are available, including to children and youth who see these as trendy products. Unfortunately, these products are very deceptive – they harm health, and risk creating a whole new generation of nicotine addicts.”
“The numbers are clear,” says WHO Representative Dr. Ying-Ru Lo, “smoking kills almost ten times as many people as road accidents in Lao PDR every year, almost 7 000 mothers, fathers, grandparents and children die as a result of tobacco’s health impacts.”
“Lao PDR has made significant progress and can secure tremendous health and economic benefits with stronger tobacco control – and we are thrilled to continue our support for the Ministry of Health in its fight against tobacco. This will require commitment by many sectors, including taxation and customs, police, and finance and planning, as well as civil society. Only a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach can protect people from the harms of tobacco.”
The visiting team included experts from the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance as well as tobacco control experts from Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand and Ministry of Public Health Thailand.
Media contact:
Mr. Visith Khamlusa
Director of the Center of Communication and Education for Health
Ministry of Health of Lao PDR
Mobile: +856 20 2250 2862
Email: [email protected]
Will Seal
Technical Officer (Communications)
WHO Lao PDR
Mobile: +856 20 55 510 788
Email: [email protected]
Mitchel Lara
Communications Web Officer
Secretariat of the WHO FCTC
Email: [email protected]
Notes for editors:
The Investment Case for Tobacco Control in LAO PDR: The case for scaling up WHO FCTC implementation report presents the findings of the case for investing in tobacco control in Lao PDR. It is jointly authored by WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), World Health Organization, Lao PDR Ministry of Health, and the United Nations Development Programme. It is available at https://www.undp.org/laopdr/publications/investment-case-tobacco-control-lao-pdr-case-scaling-who-fctc-implementation