The Urgent Issue of Youth E-cigarette Consumption in Vietnam

According to Vietnamese media nguoiduatin on May 29th, Congressman Tạ Văn Hạ remarked at a meeting discussing economic and social issues that there are many new products on the market, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. Despite their short presence in Vietnam, these products have been rapidly developing and have a wide reach.

Trevor van Haar warns that these products have been labeled as harmful to consumer health by the World Health Organization and multiple health agencies in Vietnam. More concerning is that these products are easily used as a medium for drugs and addictive substances. What is particularly worrying is that these products are primarily targeted towards teenagers and minors.

He explained that these products have attractive appearances that children love, with labels even stating "milk" and featuring attention-grabbing images, as well as various scents, all of which are temptations for children.

The lawmaker added that although no organization or company is currently allowed to import these products, purchasing them on the market is not difficult, with sales even available near school entrances. Advertisements and sales of these products are openly promoted on social media platforms.

Currently, Vietnam's laws have not yet clearly defined this category of products. According to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, e-cigarettes are not included in the definition of tobacco in Vietnam. Ta Van Ha is calling on the government to immediately conduct research from a scientific and practical perspective to find appropriate legal solutions to address these products. He emphasized that during this period without a legal framework, control measures need to be implemented, strictly enforced, and prevent these products from being sold on the market.

As early as May 14th, the Prime Minister issued an emergency directive, instructing the Ministry of Health to conduct research and propose management solutions for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. He also requested the Ministry of Finance to guide customs in conducting strict inspections and controls on the smuggling of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and to establish specialized cases to crackdown on relevant organizations and groups.

In addition, the Ministry of Commerce has been instructed to guide market management forces to strengthen the management of the mainland market, conduct regular inspections, and take strict measures against organizations and individuals involved in smuggling e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Currently, approximately 19 million adolescents aged 13 to 15 (13 million males and 6 million females) are smoking worldwide, with about 5 million of them residing in Southeast Asia. Surveys in most countries indicate a high prevalence of tobacco product use among children aged 13 to 15, particularly for newer forms like powdered milk can cigarettes.