Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan attended a meeting to report on state management of new tobacco products.

Meeting scene

On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health , the Minister of Health attended a meeting to report on the state management of new tobacco products. Attending the meeting were representatives of the Legal Department, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management and a number of related Departments and Bureaus of the Ministry of Health.

At the meeting, delegates listened to a representative of the Legal Department - Ministry of Health present a report "On the current situation, harms, international experience and proposed measures to ban the production, trading, import, advertising of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other new tobacco products to protect public health"

Deputy Director of the Legal Department Dinh Thi Thu Thuy reported at the meeting.

The report summarizing 10 years of implementing the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control shows that thanks to many efforts in tobacco harm prevention and control, the rate of regular cigarette use among adult males has decreased by an average of 0.5%, decreased by 50% in the 13-17 age group, and the rate of passive exposure to tobacco smoke has decreased significantly in most areas with prohibition regulations. In particular, the rate of regular cigarette use among students decreased from 5.36% in 2013 to 2.78% in 2019 in the 13-17 age group and from 2.5% to 1.9% in the 13-15 age group.

These are very encouraging results in the work of preventing and combating the harmful effects of tobacco. However, these achievements are at risk of being destroyed by the increasing rate of electronic cigarette use that is becoming more and more public and popular among young people. According to studies conducted by the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund in collaboration with agencies and organizations:

- 2020: According to the 2020 Adult Tobacco Use Survey in 34 Provinces and Cities (PGATS): the rate of e-cigarette smoking among adults (15 years and older) increased 18 times (from 0.2% in 2015 to 3.6% in 2020), in which the highest usage rate was concentrated in the age group of 15-24 with a rate of 7.3%, followed by the age groups of 25 - 44 years old (3.2%), 45 - 64 years old (1.4%);

- 2022: According to the Survey on Tobacco Use among 13-15 Year Old Students (GYTS 2022), the overall rate of e-cigarette use among 13-15 year old students is 3.5%;

- In 2023: According to a preliminary report from a study on the current status of e-cigarette and heated tobacco use among middle and high school students in 11 provinces and cities: the general rate of e-cigarette use in the 11-18 age group is 7.0%, and the 13-15 age group is 8.0%. Students in the final grades of middle and high school have a higher rate of use than the remaining grades (grade 8 is 9.1%; grade 9 is 10.4%; grade 11 is 8.2%; grade 12 is 8.9%);

It can be seen that in just 2 years, the rate of e-cigarette use among 13-15 year old students has increased rapidly at an alarming rate: more than 2 times (from 3.5% in 2022 to 8.0% in 2023).

According to the research results of the Institute of Health Strategy and Policy - Ministry of Health conducted in 2020 on risky behaviors for the health of middle and high school students in Hanoi , for women and girls alone, up to 8% of women and girls smoke e-cigarettes while the rate of cigarette smoking in women is only 1.5%. Smoking e-cigarettes in teenage girls, young people, and women of reproductive age will cause consequences for reproductive health and quality of the race.

The report also includes in-depth analysis of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products on users' health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no evidence in the world that e-cigarettes help quit smoking. WHO also does not confirm that e-cigarettes are a smoking cessation aid. On the contrary, evidence shows that users of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products increase the risk of using multiple types of cigarettes at the same time. The simultaneous use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and conventional cigarettes has been recorded in many countries. Specifically, in the US, evidence shows that most people who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking are not able to quit smoking, instead they continue to use both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. About 70% of heated tobacco users in Japan and 96.2% of heated tobacco users in Korea use heated tobacco products and traditional cigarettes at the same time.

Data shows that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products tend to target young people, potentially affecting an entire generation. In the United States, e-cigarette use skyrocketed from 11.7% to 27.5% among high school students between 2017 and 2019, and from 3.3% to 10.5% among high school students. In the United Kingdom, e-cigarette use among 15-year-old girls increased from 10% in 2018 to 21% in 2021, while in New Zealand 27% of young people use e-cigarettes.

In October 2023, the Ministry of Health received a WHO Recommendation for the National Assembly to issue a Resolution banning the import, production, distribution and sale of nicotine products, non-nicotine electronic delivery systems and heated tobacco products, as well as banning the advertising and promotion of these products in Vietnam. On May 20, 2024, WHO also sent a second petition, which updated some information on the harmful effects of new nicotine and tobacco products from the latest research. At the same time, on December 22, 2023, the Ministry of Health received a letter from the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with the title: Supporting the policy of banning the circulation of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and shisha.

The report also outlines the experience of controlling e-cigarettes in some countries around the world. According to a report by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, USA (CTFK), there are currently at least 39 countries and territories that have completely banned e-cigarette products. In the ASEAN region, there are 5 countries that have completely banned e-cigarettes: Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Brunei, Cambodia. Currently, the number of countries applying ban policies is increasing, specifically according to statistics, at least 3 countries and territories have switched from pharmaceutical control methods to ban methods (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Venezuela). 03 countries sell e-cigarettes as licensed pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs treated according to treatment regimens (Chile, Australia and Japan). In fact, these 03 countries have not yet licensed any products to be sold as smoking cessation products due to lack of clinical data. 88 countries regulate e-cigarettes (including 27 countries in the European Union). Regulation is strictly carried out according to the measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

For heated tobacco products, at least 18 countries ban them (including 5 ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei). No country sells heated tobacco products as licensed pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs according to treatment regimens. 71 countries regulate heated tobacco products (including 27 countries in the European Union). Management using preventive measures is different.

Along with that, the report also points out the benefits if the resolution is issued to the development of the socio-economy and the people. Based on such analysis and assessment, the report proposes to issue a document banning the production, trading, importation and advertising of new cigarettes. Based on current laws, the Ministry of Health will submit to the Government for consideration and submit to the National Assembly for promulgation of the Resolution.

Delegates contributed their opinions at the meeting.

The meeting also heard comments from specialized Departments and Offices on issues related to the report.

In her concluding remarks, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan requested the drafting committee to review the contents and finalize them before submitting them to the Government, based on the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and the direction of the National Assembly's Social Committee on the implementation of this activity.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan delivered a concluding speech at the meeting.

Report on the current status of use, harmful effects of new tobacco products, new tobacco use issues among adolescents, handling of violations, difficulties and problems in state management and implementation related to ministries and branches.

The legal system needs to clearly analyze whether the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms has taken these subjects into account and whether it can be applied to these subjects. There must be sufficient basis to submit for promulgation a Resolution on banning the production, trading, importation, and advertising of new cigarettes.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan suggested that the drafting committee should seek opinions from relevant ministries and sectors; the Ministry of Education and Training should supplement information related to the harmful effects of new tobacco on teenagers and students. From there, the Ministry of Health will have a basis to synthesize a report to the Government.

Regarding the current situation, there should be an official document sent to hospitals (Bach Mai Hospital, Central Lung Hospital, Central Mental Hospital...) and related hospitals requesting to send to the Ministry of Health reports related to examination and treatment of new tobacco-related diseases and recommendations.

Supplementing and updating WHO's opinions, including WHO's recommendations, in the short term a Resolution will be issued, and in the long term an amendment to the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control will be submitted. The Resolution will be issued and take effect until the amended Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control is submitted to the National Assembly and passed.

There needs to be a specific roadmap for the development, submission and promulgation of the Resolution. The Legal Department, Ministry of Health will receive the opinions of the delegates at the meeting and adjust the report to submit to the Ministry's leaders. Send an official dispatch to request comments from relevant ministries and branches to collect opinions and synthesize to submit to the Government.

In the impact assessment section, opinions from businesses and tobacco product manufacturers are needed. Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan assigned the drafting unit to complete and submit the report before April 10, 2024./.

Ministry of Health Portal

Source: https://moh.gov.vn/hoat-dong-cua-lanh-dao-bo/-/asset_publisher/TW6LTp1ZtwaN/content/bo-truong-bo-y-te-ao-hong-lan-du-hop-bao-cao-cong-tac-quan-ly-nha-nuoc-oi-voi-thuoc-la-moi