Vietnam Rejects E-Cigarette Licenses and Tightens Control on New Tobacco Products

According to reports from Vietnam on November 12th, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien explained in detail the issues surrounding the regulation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products during a Q&A session on the afternoon of the 11th.

The Minister pointed out that since the last government, e-cigarettes have rapidly developed in the market due to a lack of management tools. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) once suggested implementing new tobacco management measures and obtained approval from the previous government. However, during consultations with various ministries and relevant departments, although most departments agreed, the Ministry of Health opposed the product, believing it is harmful to health. In view of this, the MIT supports the Ministry of Health's opinion that e-cigarettes are harmful to health and should be banned.

He emphasized that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is actively working towards implementing a legal framework to ban such products as soon as possible, and has never suggested continuing the trial of e-cigarette projects. In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has refused to issue business licenses to e-commerce websites related to the e-cigarette business and has requested market management to strengthen inspections.

In order to address this issue, the Ministry of Commerce has suggested to the government to implement a strict and clear new tobacco control policy to fill in the legal gaps. The policy may involve revising existing regulations or enacting new laws to better tackle this issue.

In the absence of specific laws, the Ministry of Commerce continues to request market regulatory authorities to coordinate with relevant departments to strengthen inspections and management of the operation, storage, and transportation of e-cigarettes, and strictly follow the Prime Minister's directives on enhancing the regulation of new tobacco products.

Current violations are mainly caused by tobacco smuggling, so strict management is necessary at the border. The Ministry of Commerce stated that they will cooperate with relevant departments, increase media information dissemination, include tobacco hazards in school curriculum, and strengthen local government management.

At a recent Q&A session, Le Hoang Anh, a representative from Gia Lai Province, asked Health Minister Dao Hong Lan about the increasing and difficult-to-detect drug-related issues associated with e-cigarettes and new tobacco products, as reported by the police.

In response, the Ministry of Public Security agreed to ban the production, distribution, and advertising of these products. However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade sought to conduct tests to better manage them. Many voters reported that tobacco industry interest groups were increasingly pushing to maintain pilot programs for these tobacco products.

"According to the minister, have these groups been successful in their campaigns in Vietnam? What responsibility does the Ministry of Health have to provide advice? Has the government not yet taken a clear stance on this issue?" asked Representative Le Hoang Anh.

In reply, Minister Dao Hong Lan emphasized that the Ministry of Health's position on banning e-cigarettes was clear and consistent.