Protecting the younger generation from the "trap" of nicotine technology.

Currently, Vietnam is stepping up legal measures to prevent the spread of new-generation tobacco products and nicotine-based products. The ban on their sale and the imposition of strict penalties demonstrate the determination of the health sector and society as a whole to warn about the potential harm hidden behind the attractive appearance of these products, thereby contributing to protecting public health, especially that of young people.

The unpredictable consequences of new-generation tobacco products.

Looking back at more than a decade of implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm, Vietnam has reaped proud achievements. The percentage of adult men who smoke traditional cigarettes decreased from 47.4% (2010) to 38.9% (2023); among teenagers aged 13-15, it decreased from 2.5% to 1.9% (2022). The rate of passive smoking exposure in the workplace decreased by 32.9% in 2025 and in the home by 27.5% compared to 2010. In particular, the recent tobacco tax reform is estimated to help 2.1 million Vietnamese people quit or not start smoking by 2031, preventing 700,000 premature deaths and contributing an additional 24 trillion VND to the budget each year.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital, treats a patient suffering from e-cigarette poisoning. (Photo: Hospital provided)

However, Vietnam remains among the top 15 countries with the highest rates of adult male smoking in the world . The fight against the harmful effects of tobacco is therefore facing new challenges as multinational corporations continuously launch e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. With their compact design and diverse flavors disguised under a "stylish" technological facade, these products quickly infiltrate schools, threatening to undermine previous achievements in tobacco control. Surveys show that the rate of e-cigarette use among the 13-17 age group increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023.

Alarmingly, medical studies have proven that nicotine is a potent neurotoxin, damaging the developing brains of young people under 25, leading to memory impairment and emotional disorders, and imposing a significant health and economic burden. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is the cause of 28 dangerous diseases such as lung cancer, stroke, heart attack, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)...

However, the Ministry of Health 's summary report also pointed out many shortcomings in the management of tobacco supply. Up to 82.5% of retail outlets violated display regulations, and 40.8% of shop owners still sold tobacco to children under 18. Regulations prohibiting tobacco sales within 100 meters of schools and hospitals were almost ineffective due to the high density of retail outlets. On average, there were still 15.4 retail outlets around medical facilities in Hanoi, 18.7 in Ho Chi Minh City, and 20.9 in Can Tho.

Filling the legal gaps arising from supply chain "blind spots"

Given the serious health risks, Vietnam has issued Resolution 173/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Following this, Law No. 143/2025/QH15 on Investment (effective from March 1, 2026) officially includes these products in the list of prohibited goods. As evidence of this correct intervention, the Director of the Poison Control Center (Bach Mai Hospital), Nguyen Trung Nguyen, stated that the ban has initially helped the center significantly reduce its workload, from 5-6 emergency cases due to e-cigarette poisoning per month to only 1-2 cases. The wave of advertising by KOLs on social media has also been almost completely eliminated.

With their compact design and diverse flavors disguised as "stylish" technology, these new-generation cigarettes are quickly infiltrating schools. Photo: Ngoc Tu

To realize its political resolve, the Government issued Decree No. 90/2026/ND-CP (effective from May 15, 2026), imposing fines of 3-5 million VND for the use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, or displaying them in excess of regulations. This is a sharp legal weapon with a strict penalty framework aimed at building a clean environment. The Ministry of Health is also leading the drafting of a project to amend and supplement several articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm to "fill" the supply gaps.

Following this, in response to the National Tobacco-Free Week (May 25-31, 2026), the health sector issued strong messages to expose the sophisticated marketing tactics of the tobacco industry. Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized that tobacco harm prevention and control efforts in 2026 must penetrate every level of society. He also stated that, to protect patients and healthcare workers from passive smoking, the Ministry of Health launched the second "Smoke-Free Healthcare Facility" competition. This is a practical solution to implement Resolution 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the people, and to absolutely protect patients and healthcare workers from the enveloping effects of passive smoking.

Beyond the healthcare sector, to ensure the law truly takes effect, many localities have incorporated tobacco harm prevention into their annual plans and included regulations prohibiting smoking in the workplace in their internal regulations. Importantly, the results of this work will become a criterion for evaluating the annual performance of leaders, Party committees, and governments at all levels.

In addition, the Ministry of Health recommends that localities integrate regulations restricting or prohibiting smoking at weddings, funerals, and festivals into community agreements and conventions; and at the same time, strengthen communication through the network of community collaborators and major movements such as "All people unite to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas". When tobacco harm prevention and control work is implemented synchronously from hospitals, agencies, schools to each residential area, the goal of building a clean, civilized and healthy living environment for the community will gradually become a reality.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bao-ve-the-he-tre-truc-bay-nicotine-cong-nghe-980112.html