Easy to buy and sell, "unknown" origin
Earlier this year, Resolution 173/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly agreed to ban the production, trading, import and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. However, despite the deadly risks, e-cigarettes are still being bought and sold widely, making it easy to access for young people.
Recorded in areas near school gates from high school to university in Hanoi, it is not difficult to see images of students gathering using "pod" and "vape", releasing white smoke to erase them publicly. When asked, many students said that they had easily booked these products through social networks.
Just type the keyword "e-cigarette" on social networking platforms, hundreds of accounts and groups openly advertise these products with all kinds of designs and flavors. Posing as a buyer, the reporter contacted a seller. This person said that the price of a bottle of essential oil is 89,000 VND, but if buying a large quantity, the price is only 59,000 VND.
The transaction took place quickly, the seller committed to delivering the goods quickly within 2 hours in Hanoi and the buyer checked the goods before payment. However, when asked about the origin of the product, this person admitted that it was unclear where the product came from, only importing goods according to customer's request.
Severe poisoning and irreversible brain damage
At the Poison Control Center (Bach Mai Hospital), "pods", "vapes" or colorful solution bottles were collected from patients hospitalized in critical condition. This is alarming evidence of a widespread trend of health harm, especially among young people. The doctor said that the number of cases of poisoning from e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products admitted to the hospital has increased sharply.
Patients are often hospitalized with signs of mental disorders, shakiness, and sweating. More severe cases of consciousness disturbances, seizures, and deep coma. More frighteningly, many cases of spreading brain damage leave permanent sequelae.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen - Director of the Poison Control Center, the poisoning situation can develop very complicatedly. There are patients who show widespread symptoms, immediately causing multiple organ damage. However, there are also cases that seem to be mild, even without obvious symptoms, but when examined in depth with methods such as brain resonance imaging (MRI), psychological testing, it was discovered that there were subconscious damage but very serious in the brain, heart and psychological functions.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, the name "oily oil" is actually a synthetic chemical mixture, mixed at will. The lab has discovered many new generation synthetic drugs with complex chemical structures such as 5F-ADB, MDMB-4en-PINACA. This is the main cause of severe poisoning cases, because they are extremely toxic substances that have never been fully studied in humans.
