The Ministry of Health is seeking opinions on the draft Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Tobacco (amended), which proposes to ban people born from January 1, 2010 from buying and using tobacco.
This proposal was made in the context of the rate of using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco among young people tending to increase, leading to many risks to public health.
The noteworthy point of this proposal is that instead of limiting it to age as before, the draft Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms (amended) aims at a "prohibition by generation" approach.
Meaning that people born from January 1, 2010 onwards will not be allowed to buy and use cigarettes, even when they are adults.
Reality over the years shows that most smokers start from youth, from curiosity, trying to know or being affected by the surrounding environment.
But cigarettes are a highly addictive product. Once nicotine is addictive, quitting is very difficult.
Therefore, the most important thing in preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco is not only to help smokers quit smoking, but also not to create new smokers.
More worrying now is the increasingly popular appearance of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco among young people.
With eye-catching designs, many flavors and an approach through social networks, these products easily make students and teenagers see them as a trend rather than a addictive product.
Meanwhile, the awareness of many young people about the harmful effects of nicotine is still limited. Many children think that e-cigarettes are less harmful, not real cigarettes or just a temporary way of entertainment.
But in reality, nicotine is still an addictive substance and many studies have warned of physical and mental health risks for young people.
If there are no strong enough measures from early on, it is very likely that society will continue to form another generation dependent on tobacco in new forms.
However, for this proposal to be effective, the important thing is not only the ban regulations. Because even now, although e-cigarettes have been banned, buying, selling and using them among young people is still quite common.
This shows that the gap between regulations and actual implementation is still large. If the online market, floating goods or trading are not strictly controlled, then the risk of "prohibition on paper" can completely occur.
Therefore, along with legal regulations, it is necessary to simultaneously tighten market management, control disguised advertising on social networks, and strictly handle the sale of cigarettes to people who are not old enough.
More importantly, families and schools must play a central role in educating children about life skills and health awareness in order to create generations who do not want to smoke.
The proposal to ban people born in 2010 from buying and using tobacco will certainly have many debates. But if viewed from a public health perspective, this is a direction worth seriously considering to protect public health in the long term.
