Support ban on e-cigarettes
Often sitting in a coffee shop to relax with friends on weekends, Nguyen Van Anh (23 years old, living in Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City) said that many times she had to move her seat inside the shop (air-conditioned space) to avoid cigarette smoke from the tables next to her.
According to Van Anh, smoking, including traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, is becoming more and more common in coffee shops, mainly among young people. Electronic cigarettes are chosen by many people because they have a pleasant smell, not as unpleasant as the smell of traditional cigarettes, but are harmful to health.
"I don't want to passively inhale cigarette smoke because it is very harmful, especially to women's fertility," Van Anh said.
Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Huynh Loc (20 years old, residing in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) said that the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes are very serious for the health of users and those around them. If unfortunately you encounter serious medical problems just because of the habit of smoking, it would be very regrettable.
"With the National Assembly passing the proposal to ban e-cigarettes, I hope to reduce the number of people suffering from diseases caused by cigarette smoke. This also helps protect the health of the entire population, opening up a bright future for young people when they stay away from cigarettes in general," Loc said.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, in just 2 years, the rate of e-cigarette use among students aged 13-15 has increased significantly (from 3.5% in 2022 to 8.0% in 2023). E-cigarette use is high among young people (15-24 years old) with a rate of 7.3%. The age group of 25-44 years old is 3.2% and the age group of 45-64 years old is 1.4%.
In particular, in 2023 alone, there were 1,224 hospitalizations due to the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Symptoms at hospitalization were mainly due to allergies, poisoning, and acute lung injury.
Can be imprisoned if violated
According to lawyer Truong Van Tuan - Trang Sai Gon Law Office - Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association, criminal law has detailed regulations on the crime of manufacturing and trading in prohibited goods in Clause 1, Article 190 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017.
Accordingly, a fine of VND 100,000,000 to VND 1,000,000,000 or imprisonment of 1 to 5 years shall be imposed for the act of producing or trading in other goods that the State prohibits from trading, circulation or use, with a value of VND 100,000,000 to less than VND 300,000,000 or illegal profits of VND 50,000,000 to less than VND 200,000,000;...
Committing a crime in one of the following cases: Organized; Abusing position and power; Professional in nature;... shall be subject to a fine of from 1,000,000,000 VND to 3,000,000,000 VND or imprisonment from 5 to 10 years.
Committing a crime in the case of "goods banned from trading, circulation, or use by the State with a value of VND 500,000,000 or more or illegal profits of VND 500,000,000 or more" shall be punished with imprisonment from 8 to 15 years.
In addition, the offender may also be fined from VND 20,000,000 to VND 100,000,000, banned from holding positions, practicing a profession or doing certain jobs from 1 to 5 years.
According to the lawyer, for commercial legal entities committing crimes, according to the provisions of Clause 5 of this Article, they can be fined up to 9 billion VND or have their operations suspended for a period of time, or even permanently suspended.
"The regulation that e-cigarettes are prohibited goods will take effect from January 1, 2025, so currently, the law does not specify the type, quantity, and value to apply the fine level and penalty framework for crimes. Therefore, in the near future, the Government may issue detailed regulations on quantity and value to have appropriate sanctions according to the tasks assigned in the Resolution of the National Assembly," said the lawyer.
