Hanoi, June 4 -- As the National Assembly considers amending the Law on Special Consumption Tax in the second phase of its 9th session starting June 11, experts have called for a robust increase in tobacco taxes as the most effective measure to protect public health and reduce long-term harm, particularly among younger generations. A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually - equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry. Around 45 million Vietnamese are currently at risk of tobacco-related illnesses, threatening the country's human ...