Vietnamese Parliament Supports Ban on E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco

According to a report by Thanhnien on September 29th, 306 child parliamentarians unanimously raised their hands in support of banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, after being questioned by Vietnamese Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.

On the day of the 29th, at the second Children's Congress simulated meeting, child congress members questioned the issue of tobacco harm prevention and control.

Some child congressmen questioned the Minister of Children's Health, Nguyễn Ngọc Mai An, about the reasons for and solutions to the increasing prevalence of children using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Minister of Children's Health Nguyễn Ngọc Mai An stated that the Ministry of Health has proposed banning the sale and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Vietnam.

The minister suggested that the education department should work together to strictly regulate the use of e-cigarettes in schools. At the same time, she urged parents to closely monitor their children's use of money and time outside of school. She also called on the market supervision department to strengthen inspections and controls to prevent smuggling and illegal sales of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, especially illegal sales near schools. Additionally, she requested that the public security department crack down on illegal activities related to smuggling and selling e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to children.

The Minister of Child Health stated that the Ministry of Health has submitted a report to the Prime Minister regarding the current situation and dangers of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, including recommendations based on international experiences on banning the production, sale, import, and advertising of these products. Once the government agrees, the Ministry of Health will officially release this information.

Following the inquiry session, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan stated that new tobacco products, especially heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, pose a serious threat to the health and quality of the population. Therefore, the Ministry of Health's proposal to ban e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products is completely correct, as over 78.27% of children surveyed support the ban.