Vietnam experts propose increasing tobacco warning label size

Medical experts in Vietnam are calling for an increase in the size of health warnings on tobacco packaging. Currently, regulations require health warnings to occupy at least 50% of the front and back surfaces of cigarette packs. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital, has proposed increasing this area to at least 85% to make health messages more prominent.

Research indicates that tobacco use is linked to more than 100,000 deaths annually in Vietnam. The health risks include lung cancer, myocardial infarction, stroke, and impacts on reproductive health. Experts note that smokers face a 10 to 20 times higher risk of lung cancer compared to non-smokers, and passive smoking continues to pose significant risks to non-smoking individuals.