Publication: Vietnam: Overview of Tobacco Control Legislation, Use and Taxation
Loading...
Published
2019-05-29
ISSN
Date
2019-05-31
Editor(s)
Abstract
This country brief presents an overview of current tobacco control legislation, use, and taxation policy in Vietnam. Data and information were collected from different sources. The brief is intended to serve as the context for complementary assessments on different aspects of tobacco taxation in the country to be shared with government teams and other national and international stakeholders. Vietnam is a party of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and its legislation contains several effective measures aimed to curb the tobacco epidemic. There is a growing consensus in the country about the need for the government to strengthen tobacco control to protect the population from health risks associated with tobacco use. However, the state-ownership of tobacco industry poses a major paradox within the government that benefits from the manufacturing of tobacco products and is also responsible for controlling tobacco consumption.The prevalence of smoking is high, especially among men. Although it was the highest in the world in the 1990, it has substantially declined since that period. However, over 35 percent of men are still regular cigarette smokers. While fewer than 2 percent of women smoke, women and children are exposed to high levels of second-hand smoke at home and in public places, and this exposure also harms and kills. It is estimated that 40,000 people are dying prematurely each year in Vietnam from tobacco-related diseases. In Vietnam, as in other countries across the world, smoking-related illnesses cost millions of dollars each year, both in terms of direct medical costs and productivity losses, imposing a heavy economic toll on households and governments.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Marquez, Patricio V.; Krasovsky, Konstantin; Andreeva, Tatiana; Isenman, Paul. 2019. Vietnam: Overview of Tobacco Control Legislation, Use and Taxation. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31758 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Mozambique(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-08-04)Mozambique ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control only in 2017, but some tobacco control policies were already implemented in the country before that. The prevalence of current tobacco use in 2003 was about 40 percent in men and 18 percent in women, while women consumed predominantly smokeless tobacco. Between 2003 and 2011, the level of tobacco use among women decreased: the prevalence of smoking remained at the same level, but the use of other tobacco products substantially declined. However, among men, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking increased. The volumes of annual cigarette sales increased from about 2.5 billion cigarettes in 2006-2010 to about 3.7 billion cigarettes in 2012-2013 and then declined in 2014-2016. Since 2010, the tiered specific excises for cigarettes and mixed (ad valorem and specific) excises for other tobacco have been in place. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, the excise rates were increased. In 2013-2016 combined, tobacco prices in Mozambique increased by 85 percent in nominal terms, or by 27 percent in inflation-adjusted terms. Over those years, inflation-adjusted GDP per capita increased by 14, and so, cigarettes became less affordable. In 2013-2015, the increase in tobacco excise became one of the factors of the price increase, which reduced tobacco affordability and probably reduced tobacco consumption and sales in the country. Tobacco excise revenue increased from 3.2 billion MZN in 2012 to 3.75 billion MZN in 2015. However, all neighboring countries have cigarette prices and taxes much higher than Mozambique. In such a situation, cigarette smuggling out of Mozambique is rather common, while cigarette smuggling into Mozambique is very unlikely. Even in the report commissioned by the tobacco industry, percentage of contraband cigarettes at the Mozambican market was estimated to be only 1-2 percent of total consumption. The following recommendations could provide both public health and fiscal benefits for Mozambique: As the first step, cigarette specific excise rates should be unified for all kinds of cigarettes at the level currently used for hard-pack cigarettes. Then, the unified rate should be annually increased to make tobacco products less affordable over time in order to reduce consumption and prevalence in line with FCTC provisions. The issue of cigarette smuggling should not be used in hindering the implementation of tax and price policies. Increase of cigarette taxes and prices in Mozambique would reduce cigarette smuggling out of the country, and it would reduce tobacco consumption in the neighboring countries. Tobacco control monitoring, including economic information on tobacco products sales, prices, and other indicators, should be much improved in the country to support more precise forecasts of the outcomes of the current and future tobacco control activities.Publication Smoking and Its Consequences in Pregnant Women in Ukraine(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-08)Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of a number of complications of pregnancy and can have adverse effects on the child. This study provides data from Ukraine that are consistent with the international literature on the effects of smoking during pregnancy. The study of nearly 700 women in Ukraine examined the rate of smoking during pregnancy and factors related to continued smoking. It documents the outcomes of pregnancy in women who smoked prior to pregnancy, and who smoked during pregnancy compared to those who did not. It also looks at pregnancy outcomes with respect to the baby's father smoking. Smoking during pregnancy is at low levels in Ukraine (less than 5 percent of pregnant women), but is associated with family structure, the baby's father smoking, and the number of previous abortions. It is also associated with placental insufficiency, low birth weight, fetus hypotrophy, and hip joint dysphasia. The father's smoking is associated with decreased fertility, late toxicosis, miscarriage threat in third trimester, small baby, and lower infant functional status. There was no evidence that information on the dangers of smoking while pregnant encouraged cessation.Publication Cigarette Affordability in the Russian Federation 2002-2017(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-09)The goal of this study is to examine cigarette affordability in Russia between 2002 and 2017 in order to provide an understanding of the country's current tobacco excise tax policy, and to identify opportunities and next steps.Publication Cigarette Affordability in Indonesia(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-05)This study analyzes the recent evolution of cigarette affordability in Indonesia and weighs implications for the country’s tobacco control policyPublication A Novel Tobacco Market Diversification(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-04-27)In this working paper, an exploration of available data and information is conducted and findings presented, to support the view that the dichotomous business model and related harm reduction narrative promoted nowadays by the tobacco industry, merits scrutiny by the international community. The promotion of e-cigarettes as welfare enhancing in rich countries, particularly because they are posited to help adult smokers quit, tends to obfuscate a dire reality. The same tobacco industry that promotes (e-cigarettes as harm reduction in rich countries, derives the bulk of its profits by selling cigarettes in lower income countries.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication The Container Port Performance Index 2023(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-18)The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) measures the time container ships spend in port, making it an important point of reference for stakeholders in the global economy. These stakeholders include port authorities and operators, national governments, supranational organizations, development agencies, and other public and private players in trade and logistics. The index highlights where vessel time in container ports could be improved. Streamlining these processes would benefit all parties involved, including shipping lines, national governments, and consumers. This fourth edition of the CPPI relies on data from 405 container ports with at least 24 container ship port calls in the calendar year 2023. As in earlier editions of the CPPI, the ranking employs two different methodological approaches: an administrative (technical) approach and a statistical approach (using matrix factorization). Combining these two approaches ensures that the overall ranking of container ports reflects actual port performance as closely as possible while also being statistically robust. The CPPI methodology assesses the sequential steps of a container ship port call. ‘Total port hours’ refers to the total time elapsed from the moment a ship arrives at the port until the vessel leaves the berth after completing its cargo operations. The CPPI uses time as an indicator because time is very important to shipping lines, ports, and the entire logistics chain. However, time, as captured by the CPPI, is not the only way to measure port efficiency, so it does not tell the entire story of a port’s performance. Factors that can influence the time vessels spend in ports can be location-specific and under the port’s control (endogenous) or external and beyond the control of the port (exogenous). The CPPI measures time spent in container ports, strictly based on quantitative data only, which do not reveal the underlying factors or root causes of extended port times. A detailed port-specific diagnostic would be required to assess the contribution of underlying factors to the time a vessel spends in port. A very low ranking or a significant change in ranking may warrant special attention, for which the World Bank generally recommends a detailed diagnostic.Publication Global Economic Prospects, January 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-16)Global growth is expected to hold steady at 2.7 percent in 2025-26. However, the global economy appears to be settling at a low growth rate that will be insufficient to foster sustained economic development—with the possibility of further headwinds from heightened policy uncertainty and adverse trade policy shifts, geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation, and climate-related natural disasters. Against this backdrop, emerging market and developing economies are set to enter the second quarter of the twenty-first century with per capita incomes on a trajectory that implies substantially slower catch-up toward advanced-economy living standards than they previously experienced. Without course corrections, most low-income countries are unlikely to graduate to middle-income status by the middle of the century. Policy action at both global and national levels is needed to foster a more favorable external environment, enhance macroeconomic stability, reduce structural constraints, address the effects of climate change, and thus accelerate long-term growth and development.Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-10)The global economy is facing another substantial headwind, emanating largely from an increase in trade tensions and heightened global policy uncertainty. For emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), the ability to boost job creation and reduce extreme poverty has declined. Key downside risks include a further escalation of trade barriers and continued policy uncertainty. These challenges are exacerbated by subdued foreign direct investment into EMDEs. Global cooperation is needed to restore a more stable international trade environment and scale up support for vulnerable countries grappling with conflict, debt burdens, and climate change. Domestic policy action is also critical to contain inflation risks and strengthen fiscal resilience. To accelerate job creation and long-term growth, structural reforms must focus on raising institutional quality, attracting private investment, and strengthening human capital and labor markets. Countries in fragile and conflict situations face daunting development challenges that will require tailored domestic policy reforms and well-coordinated multilateral support.Publication Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-05)Digitalization is the transformational opportunity of our time. The digital sector has become a powerhouse of innovation, economic growth, and job creation. Value added in the IT services sector grew at 8 percent annually during 2000–22, nearly twice as fast as the global economy. Employment growth in IT services reached 7 percent annually, six times higher than total employment growth. The diffusion and adoption of digital technologies are just as critical as their invention. Digital uptake has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.5 billion new internet users added from 2018 to 2022. The share of firms investing in digital solutions around the world has more than doubled from 2020 to 2022. Low-income countries, vulnerable populations, and small firms, however, have been falling behind, while transformative digital innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) have been accelerating in higher-income countries. Although more than 90 percent of the population in high-income countries was online in 2022, only one in four people in low-income countries used the internet, and the speed of their connection was typically only a small fraction of that in wealthier countries. As businesses in technologically advanced countries integrate generative AI into their products and services, less than half of the businesses in many low- and middle-income countries have an internet connection. The growing digital divide is exacerbating the poverty and productivity gaps between richer and poorer economies. The Digital Progress and Trends Report series will track global digitalization progress and highlight policy trends, debates, and implications for low- and middle-income countries. The series adds to the global efforts to study the progress and trends of digitalization in two main ways: · By compiling, curating, and analyzing data from diverse sources to present a comprehensive picture of digitalization in low- and middle-income countries, including in-depth analyses on understudied topics. · By developing insights on policy opportunities, challenges, and debates and reflecting the perspectives of various stakeholders and the World Bank’s operational experiences. This report, the first in the series, aims to inform evidence-based policy making and motivate action among internal and external audiences and stakeholders. The report will bring global attention to high-performing countries that have valuable experience to share as well as to areas where efforts will need to be redoubled.Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.