4 June 2018:

Education Ministry will draft a special plan in cooperation with Ministry of Health and Sports as smoking and betel chewing becomes rampant among students aged between 13 and 15.

According to the survey conducted in 2014, male accounted for 34 per cent of smoking and female for 7.4 per cent. Male represented 62 per cent of betel chewing with tobacco and female, 24 per cent. The number of those who consume tobacco has been on the rise.

According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2016, male made up 26 per cent of smoking tobacco or betel chewing among students aged between 13 and 15 and female, four per cent. This is unacceptable.

Tobacco and tobacco product consumption become high day by day. In addition, a wide variety of tobacco products are available at the lowest prices compared with other Asean countries. The government raised taxes on tobacco and tobacco products occasionally. But tax rates remain low compared with those in neighbouring countries. In 2016, Myanmar passed the law to control and reduce tobacco and tobacco products consumption. Action taken is still weak.

Source: Eleven