Sufficient sanctions to punish violations of new generation cigarettes

The Ministry of Health will strengthen inspection, examination and handling of acts of production, trading, import, storage and transportation of new cigarettes and addictive substances.

Sufficient sanctions to punish violations of new generation cigarettes

The Ministry of Health will strengthen inspection, examination and handling of acts of production, trading, import, storage and transportation of new cigarettes and addictive substances.

Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Legal Department, Ministry of Health, said that although the Government has not yet issued a plan to implement the ban on new cigarettes, based on current regulations, there are enough sanctions to punish acts of trading, transporting, producing and using new cigarettes, because these are prohibited goods.

According to Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Legal Department, there are now enough sanctions for the act of trading and using new cigarettes.

Specifically, Article 190 of the Penal Code stipulates the crime of manufacturing and trading in prohibited goods, with a fine of VND100 million to VND1 billion, or a prison term of 1 to 5 years. Article 191 stipulates the crime of storing and transporting prohibited goods, with a fine of VND50 million to VND300 million, or a prison term of 6 months to 3 years.

Regarding the production, trading and import of new cigarettes, the Investment Law has clearly stipulated the prohibited investment and business sectors. In addition, Decree No. 38/2021/ND-CP dated March 29, 2021 of the Government also stipulates the sanctioning of administrative violations in the fields of culture and advertising of prohibited goods.

According to Ms. Thu Thuy, Decree No. 144/2021/ND-CP dated December 31, 2021, stipulating administrative sanctions for violations in the fields of security, order, social safety, prevention of social evils, fire prevention and fighting... also stipulates a fine of 1 to 2 million VND for illegal use of drugs.

Regarding the direction of implementing the National Assembly's new tobacco ban resolution, Ms. Thu Thuy said that the Ministry of Health is seeking the Government's opinion on two important contents.

Firstly, the Ministry of Health will preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and organizations to draft a plan to implement Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly, related to the ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and gases and addictive substances harmful to public health. This plan is expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister for promulgation in the first quarter of 2025.

Second, the Ministry of Health will draft a Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 117/2020/ND-CP dated September 28, 2020, regulating administrative sanctions in the health sector under simplified procedures. This Decree will add the acts of "harboring" and "using" new tobacco and addictive substances to the list of violations that need to be handled.

The Ministry of Health will also strengthen inspection, examination and handling of acts of production, trading, import, storage and transportation of new cigarettes and addictive substances.

The police forces will proactively crack down on illegal networks and groups. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will also inspect and strictly handle related organizations and individuals, and at the same time receive new cigarettes handed over by people before January 1, 2025 and destroy them according to regulations.

The Ministry of Health will also expand drug addiction treatment facilities, provide funding for drug addiction treatment from the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, and continue to promote communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of new tobacco products.

The Ministry of Health expects that with drastic measures and close coordination among relevant agencies, the implementation of Resolution 173 will help stop the increasing trend of e-cigarette use in Vietnam, protect public health and ensure a healthy living environment.

According to international reports and research, e-cigarettes are not only addictive but also pose a risk of causing lung, cardiovascular and cancer diseases.

Although many people believe that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, studies show that they are not a safe alternative.

The WHO has even warned that e-cigarettes could be the "first step" to using traditional cigarettes, thereby promoting dependence on addictive substances.

On the international organization side, MSc. Nguyen Tuan Lam, WHO representative in Vietnam, recommended that Vietnam needs to strengthen measures to prevent the supply and trade of e-cigarettes, especially through online channels.

Mr. Lam also emphasized the need to set strong enough penalties to act as a deterrent and to launch a large-scale communication campaign to help raise public awareness of the harmful effects of this product.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/du-che-tai-de-xu-phat-cac-hanh-vi-vi-pham-ve-thuoc-la-the-he-moi-d235617.html