title: Tobacco and poverty: evidence from Vietnam.
abstract: This review examined existing evidence to investigate the link between tobacco and poverty in Vietnam, to assess the impact of tobacco control policies on employment related to tobacco consumption and to identify information gaps that require further research for the purposes of advocating stronger tobacco control policies. A Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar search identified studies addressing the tobacco and poverty association in Vietnam using extensive criteria. In all, 22 articles related either to tobacco and health or economics, or to the potential impact of tobacco control policies, were identified from titles, abstracts or the full text. 28 additional publications were identified by other means. PHA, LTT and LTTH reviewed the publications and prepared the initial literature review. There is extensive evidence that tobacco use contributes to poverty and inequality in Vietnam and that tobacco control policies would not have a negative impact on overall employment. Tobacco use wastes household and national financial resources and widens social inequality. The implementation and enforcement of a range of tobacco control measures could prove beneficial not only to improve public health but also to alleviate poverty.
authors: Health Bridge Foundation of Canada, c/o House #49, Road #4/A, Dhanmondi Dhaka 1209 Bangladesh. debra@healthbridge.ca
authors: Debra
authors: D
authors: Efroymson
authors: Hoang Anh
authors: HA
authors: Pham
authors: Lori
authors: L
authors: Jones
authors: Sian
authors: S
authors: FitzGerald
authors: Le Thi
authors: le T
authors: Thu
authors: Le Thi Thu
authors: le TT
authors: Hien
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D062789:Tobacco Products