Vietnam: More than 45 million people are exposed to tobacco-related diseases

More than 45 % of the 100 million Vietnamese people are exposed to the risks of serious illnesses and premature death due to active or passive smoking. This was emphasized by Ms. Phan Thi Hai, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, which is under the Ministry of Health, during a training program organized on April 23, 2025 in Hanoi by the Vietnam Center for Economic and Strategic Studies (VESS).[1]With more than one in five Vietnamese smoking, and more than 40% of men smoking, the country is in the grip of a serious tobacco epidemic.

A major health and economic crisis linked to tobacco in Vietnam

In 2022, Vietnam produced nearly 35,000 tonnes of raw tobacco, or 0.6 % of the annual global consumption, estimated at 5.8 million tonnes, placing the country in the 19^e tobacco producers' place[2]The latter, which contains more than 7,000 chemical substances, including 69 proven carcinogens, is the cause of a large number of diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive diseases.

According to WHO data in 2021, tobacco consumption caused the premature deaths of 85,000 Vietnamese people per year, with an additional 18,800 caused by passive smoking, for a total of 104,300 deaths per year (23.8% of the country's premature deaths).

The financial consequences are just as significant. In 2022, the costs of medical treatment, illness, and premature death caused by tobacco amounted to VND 108 trillion (approximately €3.6 million), or 1.14 trillion of GDP, an amount five times higher than the tax revenue generated by tobacco. People of working age are particularly affected, reducing the quality of the national workforce and impacting the country's economic growth. However, Vietnamese society as a whole is economically penalized by smoking, as one study estimates that tobacco consumption, which is particularly addictive, tends to exacerbate social inequalities by keeping hundreds of thousands of individuals trapped in cycles of poverty.

Taxation, a crucial lever for reducing tobacco consumption

Despite occasional increases in a special consumption tax between 2008 and 2019, their impact on consumption remained limited due to their small scale (5 %) and the long period between each increase. As a result, the Vietnamese market still has around 40 cigarette brands, some of which are sold for less than 10,000 VND per pack (€0.34), making tobacco very affordable, including for young people and low-income populations.[3].

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh points out that despite tax increases, production and exports have continued to increase, without a significant decline in the number of smokers. Moreover, due to changes in prices and incomes, the real cost of tobacco for consumers has fallen sharply: in 1994, it took 31 billion pounds of annual income to buy 100 packs, compared to only 5.2 billion pounds in 2017.

To address this situation, economist Dao The Son proposes an ambitious tax reform. He recommends introducing a fixed tax of VND 5,000 (€0.17) per pack starting in 2026, with a gradual increase in its value to VND 15,000 (€0.51) by 2030. Ms. Hai suggests adopting a mixed system by combining this fixed tax with a proportional tax so that cigarette prices keep pace with income growth, aiming for a tax rate representing 75% of the retail price. This would not only reduce tobacco consumption but also generate benefits for public health, the environment, and the national economy.

In addition to significant catching up to do in terms of taxation, Vietnam is also lagging behind in the regulation of tobacco products. This is particularly the case for advertising bans, since sponsorship and corporate social responsibility activities are not prohibited. Furthermore, bans on smoking in public spaces remain incomplete, not including, for example, public transport or cafes. Finally, the sale of single cigarettes, which mainly targets young people, is not prohibited, nor is the sale of tobacco online. At the end of November 2024, the Vietnamese National Assembly nevertheless adopted the prohibition of the production, sale, importation, storage, transport and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco, which will come into force this year.

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[1]Bao Tuoi Tre, More than 45 million Vietnamese are at risk of getting sick from cigarette smoke., Vietnam.vn, published on April 23, 2025, accessed on April 24, 2025

[2]Tobacco-free generation, In Vietnam, the tobacco epidemic persists, published December 13, 2024, accessed April 24, 2025

[3]Duy Minh, Lieu Duong, Over 45 million Vietnamese at risk of tobacco-related diseases, Tuoi Tre News, published April 24, 2025, accessed April 24, 2025

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