The Ministry of Health is presiding over the drafting of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms (PCTHTL). It is expected to be submitted to the 16th National Assembly for approval at the 2nd session (October 2026), effective from July 1, 2027.
Tobacco display directly impacts young people
After more than a decade of implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, Vietnam is facing the requirement to continue to improve tobacco control policies, notably the proposal to completely ban the display of tobacco products at points of sale.
The current Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms has prohibited advertising, promotion and marketing of tobacco in many forms. However, the provisions of Article 25 still allow points of sale to display no more than one pack, one tube or one box of a tobacco brand.
This means that consumers, including children and adolescents, can still encounter tobacco products right at checkout counters, grocery stores or points of sale near schools. One of the most important reasons to consider banning tobacco displays is the impact on children and adolescents.
59 countries have banned tobacco displays
Banning tobacco displays at points of sale is not a new policy in the world. According to policy documents, as of 2024, 59 countries have applied this regulation.
Iceland is the first country to implement it since 2001. In Southeast Asia, Thailand has applied it since 2005, followed by Brunei, Singapore and Laos. Some countries allow points of sale to provide information about product names and prices in writing but do not use images or brand identity elements for promotion.
International experience shows that policies can achieve high efficiency if accompanied by clear regulations, specific technical guidelines, appropriate transition roadmaps and strict inspection and sanction mechanisms.
Opportunity to improve policies in Vietnam
After 13 years of implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, Vietnam has recorded positive changes in tobacco control. The rate of smoking cigarettes among adult men decreased from 23.8% in 2010 to 20.8% in 2021. The situation of exposure to cigarette smoke in families, public places and workplaces has also gradually improved.
However, according to the Ministry of Health, these results are facing new challenges as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco are becoming increasingly popular, especially among young people. Meanwhile, the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms in 2012 does not have specific regulations on these two product groups, creating gaps in management.
Notably, Vietnam is still in the top 15 countries with the highest adult male smoking rate in the world and ranks 3rd in ASEAN. This is a significant pressure for the goal of reducing tobacco use and preventing the risk of forming a new generation of smokers.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen - Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital - said that Vietnam is going in the right direction when this year's revised Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms includes two solutions: Not creating new smokers (banning people born from 2010 onwards from smoking and banning sales to this group); Decisive measures to help smokers quit or reduce as much as possible.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, while society is striving to protect the future generation, tobacco corporations are aiming to attract young people, considering children today as potential customers of tomorrow. Therefore, banning young generations from smoking and banning the sale of cigarettes to this group is a correct and necessary policy to protect the future generation.
Vietnam is amending the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, the addition of regulations completely prohibiting the display of tobacco products at points of sale is considered a step to overcome the current legal loophole.
Along with that, the draft amended Law also proposes to legalize the ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and new tobacco products, thereby increasing the synchronicity of the legal system.
According to the plan stated in the document, the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms is expected to be submitted to the 16th National Assembly for comments and approval at the 2nd session, expected in October 2026, and takes effect from July 1, 2027.
If approved, "hiding" cigarettes out of sight at points of sale will not only change the way goods are arranged. This is also a step to narrow the space for tobacco promotion, reduce children's exposure to addictive products and support adults who are trying to quit smoking.
