(VOV) – Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has called on all ministries, agencies, socio-political organizations and the people to take part in anti-smoking events. Nhan made the appeal at a meeting in Hanoi on Thursday in response to ‘World No Tobacco Day’ and ‘National No Tobacco Week’ on May 31^st. He also appealed to the public all people o support the National Assembly in its adopting a draft law preventing and combating smoking. He also asked the Ministries of Health and Information and Communications to step up the anti-smoking campaign. In Vietnam, tobacco kills 40,000 people annually and the number of related deaths is estimated to reach 70,000 by 2030, if no effective measures are taken. There are as many as 15.3 million smokers while the two thirds of the population who are non-smokers are exposed to ‘passive smoking’ at work and at home.