Vietnamese Ministry of Health: Expected to propose a national management plan for new tobacco products soon

The expert meeting of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health has warned that new tobacco products may lead to more addiction and health problems, and proposed a ban on production, sales, and advertising. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States pointed out that these products do not help quit smoking, and users may use both cigarettes.
According to a report by Vietnam News Agency, a recent expert meeting chaired by Vietnamese Minister of Health, Dao Hong Lan, stated that licensing the production of new tobacco products is likely to lead to more smokers and also cause health and economic problems similar to traditional cigarettes.
During the meeting, Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Minister of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Health, stated that the government has taken multiple measures to curb the use of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and their variants. These measures include promotional activities to understand the potential hazards of e-cigarettes, as well as crackdowns on the smuggling of these new tobacco products. However, these products are rapidly gaining popularity among people, especially young people.
According to the report at the meeting, new tobacco products often contain various seasonings and chemicals. Consumers can increase the content of nicotine in this mixture according to their personal taste, and even add addictive substances including heroin.
In addition, Ding Shizhen also cited data from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, pointing out that at least 39 countries and regions have implemented bans on electronic cigarettes.
According to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, 88 countries (including 27 EU countries) have already regulated new tobacco products. Currently, nearly 20 countries have banned the use of heated tobacco products, including five ASEAN countries including Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei.
The Minister of Justice of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health also added that the management measures for these new tobacco products depend on the specific socio-economic environment and resources.
The health experts at the meeting also pointed out that there are currently no successful examples of banning the use of new tobacco and nicotine products by adolescents worldwide. They mentioned that cases in the United States, Canada, Georgia, and Poland indicate that the transition from prohibition or lack of explicit regulations to legalization has led to a surge in the use of e-cigarettes, especially among young people.
Based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and Vietnam's current management capabilities, experts suggest that the Ministry of Health should ban the production, trade, import, and advertising of new tobacco products.
The World Health Organization states that there is no evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, as they are also highly addictive and have negative effects on individual health, especially in the brain development of children and adolescents.
Moreover, there is currently no evidence to prove that e-cigarettes can help smokers abandon the use of traditional tobacco products.
Health Minister Zhao Honglan highly praised the legal department of the Ministry, the Vietnam Tobacco Control Foundation, and other relevant institutions at the meeting, who have made positive contributions in preventing the harm caused by tobacco consumption.
She also mentioned that based on the opinions of this meeting, a proposal for national management of new tobacco products is expected to be introduced soon to better protect people's health.