Vietnam is debating a change to the graphic health warnings on cigarette packs. The proposal matters because larger warnings could directly affect the health of millions of people.

Associate Professor Le Thi Thanh Huong, Vice Rector of the University of Public Health, noted that current warnings cover only 50% of each of the two main surfaces of cigarette packs and that attention to the warnings has fallen to 80% over a ten‑year period. Because the coverage has not changed, Vietnam’s international ranking on warning size dropped from 28th in 2014 to 95th in 2025.

The World Health Organization recommends that graphic health warnings cover at least 50% of tobacco packaging. In the region, Thailand already requires 85% coverage, while Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Brunei use a 75% requirement.

Research conducted in Vietnam in 2024 found that larger warnings increased smokers' awareness of health risks. Associate Professor Le Thi Thanh Huong said that 63.4% of smokers who noticed the warnings considered quitting, and that smokers who pay attention to the warnings are 2.3 times more likely to intend to quit.

The Health Ministry estimates that raising warning coverage to 85% could cut the number of smokers by about 815,100 within six years. This shows how a simple packaging rule could dramatically improve public health.