At the training conference to improve communication capacity on tobacco harm prevention and control on October 17 in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Ho Hong Hai - Deputy Director of the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Information and Communications said that the monitoring and survey results of the National Assembly Committees and research showed that the rate of use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Vietnam is increasing, especially among young people, students and pupils.
At the same time, there is a situation of taking advantage of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products to circulate and use illegal drugs.
In the first quarter of 2024, the police nationwide detected and handled 111 cases and 152 subjects related to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Of these, 33 cases with 73 subjects were prosecuted for drug crimes, the rest were administratively handled for trading in goods of unknown origin.
Reports and studies also point out the harmful effects of using electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products on health, economy, security and order, and the environment, such as increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases, mental disorders, impaired brain maturation, and creating economic burdens for families and society...
Also at the conference, MSc. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund (Ministry of Health) informed that in just 2 years, the rate of e-cigarette use among students aged 13-15 has increased significantly (from 3.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2023). The rate of e-cigarette use is high in the 15-24 age group at 7.3%.
This trend is also evident among adults. The rate of e-cigarette use among this group has also increased rapidly, from 0.2% in 2015 to 3.6% in 2020.
This shows that the achievements Vietnam has made in reducing the rate of regular cigarette use over the past 10 years are at risk of being destroyed, because the increased use of e-cigarettes is targeting young people.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that there is no evidence to prove that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are less harmful than conventional tobacco products. E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products both contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance that is harmful to health.
MSc. Thu Huong said that due to the serious harm of new tobacco products to health, especially the young generation, it is necessary to prevent their use before it is too late to protect the young generation. Regulations need to be issued promptly to completely ban these products before the use of new tobacco products becomes widespread.
The Ministry of Health is submitting to the Government for consideration and the National Assembly for promulgation a Resolution banning the production, trading and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Vietnam.
