Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade considers new tobacco law

The Ministry of Industry and Trade in Vietnam is currently studying and drafting a new decree on tobacco management to replace the current Decree No. 67/2013/ND-CP, according to a recent report by Baodautu.

In this report, the Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to propose specific regulations for the management of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTP). The Ministry of Commerce will work with the Ministry of Health and other relevant departments to finalise the draft and report to the government.

Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Hong Dien, reported to the National Assembly on the implementation of resolutions related to inquiries and commitments made at the previous session on industry and trade issues. During the seventh session of the National Assembly, many members expressed concerns about the potential harm of new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and HTP products, during discussions and questions to the Minister.

In early May 2024, a hearing on the government's responsibility to prevent and control the harm of e-cigarettes and HTP products, hosted by the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs in cooperation with the Committee on Cultural Education, attracted widespread public attention. According to reports from over 700 medical institutions, including hospitals directly under the Ministry of Health, provincial health bureaus and county health centres, there were 1,224 cases of hospital admissions due to the use of e-cigarettes and HTP products in 2023 alone.

The conclusion of the hearing pointed out that there are legal loopholes in the prevention and control of harm from e-cigarettes and HTP products. One of the main reasons is that various ministries and local governments have not yet unified their positions on the management of new tobacco products, resulting in slow implementation of government directives and delays in promulgating relevant legal documents.

During the seventh session of the National Assembly, some deputies continued to question the Minister of Industry and Commerce on how to address the issue of new tobacco products. The Minister told the National Assembly: "If the Ministry of Health confirms that the health hazards of new tobacco products reach a level that warrants a ban, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will support the prompt amendment of relevant laws to ensure that these products cannot be marketed in Vietnam.
 

At present, the results of the implementation of this pledge are still "under review" and it is not yet clear when the contents related to the management of e-cigarettes and HTP products will be finalised. The report also notes that the Ministry of Health has been tasked with reviewing laws and regulations on the prevention and control of harm from e-cigarettes and HTP products, and has made recommendations to amend the Tobacco Hazards Prevention and Control Law. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is responsible for developing solutions to regulate new tobacco products based on its authority or by submitting proposals to relevant agencies.