The two sides will cooperate to build an effective, scientific-based intervention and control model, promoting close coordination between the health and education sectors to prevent the increasing use of e-cigarettes in schools.
In the first year, the two sides will develop a comprehensive intervention program, in line with the practical context in Vietnam, through promoting cooperation with the REACH research group led by Professor. This is a study led by sub sub sub- sub- sub- sub-VNA. The program will also organize thematic exchanges with the participation of health experts, expected to reach about thousands of students to raise awareness of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.
In the immediate future, the program will be piloted at a secondary school in Hanoi, then expanded to 8 schools in major cities in the next two years.
The program was launched in the context that the Vietnamese National Assembly passed Resolution 173/2024/QH15 in November 2024, officially banning the production, trading, import, storage, transportation and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025. Vietnam is also the sixth country in the ASEAN region to implement a complete ban on new-generation tobacco products.
However, implementation still faces many challenges due to the lack of comprehensive intervention programs and a synchronous sanctions system, while the rate of e-cigarette use is increasing rapidly among adolescents. According to data from the Ministry of Health, in just two years, the rate of students aged 13 to 15 using e-cigarettes has increased from 3.5% in 2022 to 8.0% in 2023.
Emphasizing the urgency of the program, Project Director, Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Minh - Principal of the University of Public Health - said: "Through the development of an intervention model based on scientific evidence at secondary schools, the project will lay a pioneering and timely foundation for the development of comprehensive policies and programs on tobacco control in general and e-cigarettes in particular".
Dr. Le Thai Ha - Executive Director of VinFuture Fund - also shared: "The cooperation of scientists, health and education experts will create positive impacts, protect the health and future of the young generation of Vietnam, and contribute to building effective policies in the field of e-cigarette prevention."
The project is a practical result of the InnovaConnect workshop co-organized by the University of Public Health and the VinFuture Foundation in September 2024.
The cooperation program is also a practical result of the InnovaConnect scientific conference co-organized by the University of Public Health and the VinFuture Foundation in September 2024 on the topic "Preventing the harmful effects of new tobacco".
InnovaConnect is a series of events that connect scientifically between leading international experts and prestigious domestic schools and research institutes, thereby leading to practical scientific cooperation, entering life and creating real benefits for the community.
piloted since 2024, up to now, InnovaConnect has organized the connection of the world's leading experts in the fields of semiconductors, environmental science and public health with key universities in the Hanoi area, such as: Hanoi University of Science and Technology, University of Natural Sciences - Vietnam National University, Hanoi and University of Public Health.
In 2025, InnovaConnect announced a nationwide expansion. Interested units can access the VinFuture Fund website at https://vinfutureprize.org/vi/tin-tuc/2025-innovaconnect/ to download the necessary registration forms and documents. The registration deadline starts from January 2, 2025 and will take place 4 times a year, on January 2, January 2, February 4, February 7, and October 2. Partners have 60 days to complete the dossier and submit the registration (soft version) to the email address: secretariat@vinfutureprize.org.
