Vietnam Implements Strong Measures to Regulate E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco

According to a report from Thethaovanhoa on May 14, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed and issued Directive No. 47/CD-TTg on strengthening the management of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

The contents are as follows:

This is a letter addressed to the ministers and directors of the Health, Finance, National Defense, Public Security, Industry and Commerce, Education, Information Communication, as well as the People's Committees of various provinces and municipalities.

In recent years, in order to implement the "Tobacco Hazard Prevention and Control Law", the government and the Prime Minister have issued multiple documents to guide the work of preventing and controlling the hazards of tobacco. Various ministries and local governments have also actively carried out activities under the guidance of the government and the Prime Minister. The work of preventing and controlling the hazards of tobacco has achieved initial success, with the average annual smoking rate for men decreasing by 0.5 percentage points.

However, in recent times, there has been a rise in the usage of e-cigarette and heated tobacco products in the market. The use of these products has become more complex, and their usage rates, especially among young people in the community, are rapidly increasing, resulting in negative impacts on people's health.

In order to strengthen regulation and promptly prevent the negative effects of using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, the Prime Minister has requested:

The Ministry of Health provides information, education, and communication on the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the units, organizations, and individuals under its management. It conducts research, recommends the issuance of regulations, or requests the competent authorities to issue solutions for the management of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.

The Ministry of Finance has instructed customs to tighten inspections and control of the illegal import of e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products in transit and customs supervision areas, and to develop special operations to combat the smuggling of e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products.

The Ministry of National Defense has instructed border guards to strengthen patrols and controls in border areas, passages, and ports to promptly deal with smuggling, storage, and transportation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

The Ministry of Public Security has instructed police forces at all levels to strengthen investigative work, gather information, devise specialized cases, and focus on cracking down on, dismantling channels, groups, and ringleaders involved in the smuggling of e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products, as well as the illegal practice of trafficking and mixing non-authorized substances into e-cigarette liquid, and prosecute them in accordance with the law.

The Ministry of Commerce has instructed market supervision forces to strengthen internal market management, conduct regular inspections, and harshly punish organized groups and individuals involved in smuggling e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products.

The Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam Radio, Vietnam News Agency, and provincial and municipal People's Committees have instructed media organizations to promote awareness of the dangers of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

The National Anti-Smuggling, Commercial Fraud and Counterfeit Products Command directly oversees the 389 regional command centers, urging them to follow up, supervise, and inspect the implementation of the Prime Minister's directive.

The provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government have instructed all levels of government and relevant departments to regularly inspect, review, and address illegal activities, and to strictly punish illegal operations, transportation, storage, and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. They also emphasize the need to strengthen public education and awareness of the dangers of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Vice Premier Chen Honghe instructed to take charge of this matter. The government office followed up, supervised, and provided reference for the Vice Premier's instructions, and checked and handled the related issues.