Warning about the increasing trend of using electronic cigarettes

Sharing at the training conference, MSc. Nguyen Hanh Nguyen, HealthBridge Canada in Vietnam, warned about the increasing trend of e-cigarette use among Vietnamese youth and made practical recommendations.

Ms. Nguyen said at the conference that tobacco is an addictive product, the world has spent decades just to fight the harmful effects of conventional tobacco, but the results have not been as expected. If new tobacco products are allowed, Vietnam will have to suffer much more serious consequences in the future.

In recent years, the number of adults smoking has increased rapidly. Specifically, according to a survey on tobacco use among adults in 34 provinces and cities nationwide (2020 survey time), in 2015, the rate of e-cigarette use among adults in Vietnam was 0.2%. In 2019, the rate of e-cigarette use among students aged 13-17 was 2.6% (3.6% for males and 1.5% for females).

Health - Warning about the increasing trend of using electronic cigarettes among teenagers — Master Nguyen Hanh Nguyen said that electronic cigarettes are increasing among Vietnamese youth.

In 2021-2022, the rate of e-cigarette use among 13-15 year old students was 3.5% (4.3% for boys, 2.8% for girls). The rate of e-cigarette use among students was particularly high in large cities: 8.35% of students in grades 8-12. After only 3 years, the rate of students using e-cigarettes increased significantly.

MSc. Nguyen Hanh Nguyen said that electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products contain toxic substances that cause illness and death, affecting the health of both smokers and those around them, causing social, economic , and environmental harm. The products are designed in a variety of styles and eye-catching colors according to the tastes of young people to attract users, especially teenagers.

According to Master Nguyen, allowing new cigarettes goes against the principle of reducing supply and demand of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the National Strategy on Tobacco Harm Prevention and the Law on Tobacco Prevention.

Allowing a pilot business of electronic cigarettes and heated cigarettes could create loopholes in management because the mixing of other addictive substances into tobacco products is difficult to control.

“Vietnam needs to implement market control measures, step up enforcement, and strengthen regulations against smuggling, advertising, and sales of tobacco products to prevent the increase in use among adolescents. It is necessary to issue a policy to ban the circulation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products and other new tobacco products in Vietnam as recommended by the Ministry of Health ,” Ms. Nguyen added.

Health - Warning about the increasing trend of using electronic cigarettes among teenagers (Figure 2). — Master Dao The Son believes that there are many challenges when new cigarettes appear on the market.

Dr. Dao The Son, Global Public Health Organization (Vital Strategies), expert of the Tobacco Control Fund, Ministry of Health, said that new groups of tobacco products have appeared on the market.

In which, electronic cigarettes with nicotine heat a liquid containing nicotine to create an aerosol gas that the user will inhale. Electronic cigarette liquid often contains flavoring agents and is mixed with propylene glycol or glycerin.

In addition to e-cigarettes, there are other forms such as e-cigars, e-shishas, and nicotine-free e-cigarettes. Heated tobacco, which heats tobacco fibers to a certain temperature using a battery-powered heating device.

Although tobacco products are heated at lower temperatures, they still produce the same chemicals as those in cigarette smoke. These chemicals are present in lower concentrations, but they do not reduce the risk of cancer.

Master Dao The Son said that multinational tobacco corporations will always target the young generation to attract new users. Developing countries like Vietnam, which still have a high rate of traditional cigarettes, continue to target young people.

Products considered new products are actually just new toxic products. If not stopped early, they will create a new pandemic for the new generation of young people.

“New tobacco products will create a double epidemic, placing a huge burden on Vietnam. The young generation needs to continue to be protected by the tricks of multinational tobacco corporations,” Mr. Son shared.

Health - Warning about the increasing trend of using electronic cigarettes among teenagers (Figure 3). — Mr. Ho Hong Hai, Deputy Director of Legal Department, Ministry of Information and Communications.

At the training session, Mr. Ho Hong Hai, Deputy Director of the Legal Department, Ministry of Information and Communications, said that the training session provided reporters and editors with specific information on the situation of activities and some priority issues in tobacco harm prevention in Vietnam; Challenges caused by the tobacco industry's intervention in global tobacco control; Overview of advertising and marketing of new tobacco products in Vietnam, forms of tobacco outreach...

“With the information provided by the reporter, the organizing committee hopes to provide reporters and editors with new information on tobacco harm prevention, especially new generation tobacco products. Strengthen coordination and information sharing between agencies and organizations implementing tobacco harm prevention and control and press agencies. Thereby, increasingly improving the effectiveness of legal communication on tobacco harm prevention and control”, Mr. Ho Hong Hai emphasized.

Nguyen Lanh

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