HCDC Debunks the False Allure of E-Cigarettes

The tobacco industry circumvents advertising bans by using many KOLs (online celebrities) or young people who smoke e-cigarettes on platforms like TikTok and Facebook, thereby creating a sense of "normalcy" and appeal.

The rate of e-cigarette use among students aged 13-17 has increased rapidly - Photo: NAM TRAN

On May 28, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) held an online discussion with the topic: "Electronic cigarettes: Exposing the false appeal".

Associate Professor Le Khac Bao - Deputy Director of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City - said that the rate of teenagers smoking new generation cigarettes (including electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products) is increasing.

Accordingly, in the 13-17 age group, the new generation of cigarette smoking increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023 (a three-fold increase). Similarly, the new generation of cigarette smoking in the 13-15 age group increased from 3.5% in 2000 to 8% in 2023.

Along with the increase in new generation cigarette smoking rates, the number of hospitalizations due to new generation cigarette use has also increased significantly, with 1,224 cases in 2023. The increase in both usage rates and harms shows that this is a real threat.

Master Dinh Thi Hai Yen - Head of HealthEducation and Communication Department of HCDC, said that the tobacco industry is facing a decline in revenue from traditional cigarettes, as people are more aware of the harmful effects.

They have turned to developing and marketing e-cigarettes, targeting young people with a sophisticated strategy, with eye-catching shapes, appearing "cool", like a fashion item.

To overcome the bad smell of traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes provide more than 16,000 flavors (chocolate, mint, strawberry, food...), creating a false sense of security for the user's brain.

According to Master Hai Yen, electronic cigarettes are advertised as a harm reduction measure or addiction cessation aid.

However, smoking e-cigarettes can be more addictive and faster, which can lead to "double" addiction or nicotine addiction and switching to traditional cigarettes.

Not only that, the tobacco industry circumvents the Advertising Law by promoting on unregulated platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

Images of KOLs (influencers) or young people using e-cigarettes in daily activities are repeated, creating a sense of "normality" and appeal to young people.

An alarming thing is the risk of drugs being mixed into e-cigarette solutions, turning this product into a hidden drug trafficking channel, which is extremely dangerous for young people.

Electronic cigarettes cause diseases like regular cigarettes

Regarding the harmful effects of e-cigarettes on health, Associate Professor Bao said that nicotine and flavorings in e-cigarettes, when heated and inhaled, become toxic. They can create carcinogens such as nitrosamines, aldehydes, acrolein, etc.

"If you say that e-cigarettes are not harmful or less harmful than traditional cigarettes, then that is absolutely not true. They still cause cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease... Their harmful effects on health often do not appear immediately, but take 10-20 years, causing users to lose their vigilance." Associate Professor Bao emphasized.

Currently, our country and more than 30 countries around the world have banned electronic cigarettes. According to experts, this ban is necessary because electronic cigarettes are very difficult to manage.

However, because they are sold in the form of electronic devices and solutions, e-cigarettes are not subject to the Law on Prevention of Tobacco Harms issued in 2013.

In addition, the tobacco industry is constantly improving its products and synthetic chemicals, making it difficult to regulate.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hcdc-vach-tran-su-hap-dan-gia-tao-cua-thuoc-la-dien-tu-20250528173438944.htm