No lying to human life!

Anti-smuggling and Counterfeiting: No Forbidden Zones, No Exceptions

Previously, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had many drastic instructions on the fight to prevent and repel smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and infringement of intellectual property rights, including in the fields of food and medicine.

In any society, food and medicine – which sustain and save lives – must be placed in a “sanctuary”. A country cannot be called developed if counterfeit goods infiltrate into the daily meals and medicine cabinets of every family.

Alarming situation

Counterfeit goods – especially in the food and medicine sector – are no longer an isolated phenomenon but have become a widespread problem with increasingly sophisticated methods.

Regarding medicines, WHO warns that about 10% of medicines circulating in developing countries are counterfeit. In Vietnam, this situation is showing signs of increasing and becoming more widespread.

The latest example is the case of a "huge" scale fake pharmaceutical production and trading ring that was recently busted by Thanh Hoa Provincial Police in early April 2025. The group illegally profited nearly 200 billion VND in just 4 years. This is not only an economic violation, but also a crime that directly harms public health.

Not only in concentrated production chains, mixing real drugs with fake drugs to create trust and then selling them widely through social networks and e-commerce platforms also shows a worrying level of sophistication.

Internationally, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), each year between 72,000 and 169,000 children die from taking fake pneumonia drugs, and 116,000 die from fake malaria drugs. How many children die from fake drugs in Vietnam?! These are clearly numbers that we cannot ignore.

Regarding food, from fish sauce, MSG, cooking oil to vegetables soaked in chemicals, expired frozen meat... have all been discovered to be sold openly. According to the General Department of Market Management, in 2023 alone, more than 2,800 violations related to fake and poor quality food were handled; especially functional foods with false advertising were rampant on social networks and e-commerce platforms, creating a favorable environment for counterfeit goods.

Unforeseeable consequences: People's health and national honor

First, it directly threatens people's health and lives .

Dirty food and fake drugs not only cause immediate poisoning but also lead to long-term consequences such as cancer, liver failure, kidney failure, metabolic disorders and infertility. In particular, the use of poor quality drugs can prolong the disease, cause drug resistance or make it worse due to the loss of "golden" time in treatment. These are the prices that patients have to pay not only in money, but also in life and trust.

Second, it causes great damage to the economy and national reputation.

Counterfeit goods cause people to "lose money and suffer", while increasing medical costs, wasting the budget and causing losses in labor productivity. Not only that, allowing counterfeit goods to prevail also seriously damages the reputation of Vietnamese goods in the international market. Industries considered key export sectors such as pharmaceuticals, processed foods, agricultural products, etc. can all be affected by a few cases of counterfeit goods causing bad reputation.

More worryingly, there are many cases where substandard food products that have been returned from abroad are sold domestically. It is an unacceptable paradox that domestic people have to consume products that are rejected by the international market. These foods must be resolutely destroyed immediately. A correct policy must not only protect the market, but also protect national dignity.

Third, suffocating legitimate businesses.

In an environment polluted by counterfeit and fake goods, businesses that seriously invest in product quality and comply with inspection procedures are often at a disadvantage. They have to compete unfairly with low-quality, cheap products that are advertised attractively, preying on the gullibility of consumers. This market manipulation not only erodes trust but also reduces the motivation for creativity, technological innovation and investment expansion of decent businesses. Without protection from the legal system and state management, "genuine performers" will be turned away by the very market they want to help create.

Central authorities have taken drastic action, implementing many solutions to inspect and control the market - Photo: VGP/MT

Why are counterfeit goods still rampant?

First of all, it is because of the huge profits from essential products such as food and medicine. A fake pill can make a profit hundreds of times higher than its cost. A bottle of fake fish sauce only costs a few thousand to produce but sells for a high price thanks to the fake brand.

Second, there are still many loopholes in state management. Inspection and post-inspection are not comprehensive and effective. Inter-sectoral coordination between health, industry and trade, agriculture, police, and market management is not yet synchronized. Licensing and product registration are often formalistic and lack actual verification.

Third, sanctions are not strong enough to deter. Many cases are administratively sanctioned, not prosecuted, and information about violations is not made public – making violators “immune to the law”. Meanwhile, consumers lack information and are easily lured by advertisements for “miracle cures” or cheap promotional products.

A real fight is needed – for people's health and national dignity

The fight against counterfeiting in the food and medicine sector must be a real, comprehensive and systematic fight, mobilizing legal, management, technological and social tools – for people's health, for national honor and for a decent economy.

First, tighten control over the entire chain – from input to circulation.

Management must be strictly implemented right from input materials, production and processing conditions to circulation and distribution processes. It is necessary to strongly shift from formal pre-inspection to substantive post-inspection, increase the frequency of inspections, surprise checks and publicize violations. Electronic traceability must be widely applied, both as an effective technical barrier and as a basis for consumers to look up and choose safe products.

Second, strengthen sanctions and strict handling. We cannot continue to deal lightly with counterfeit food and medicine. We need to resolutely handle criminal cases and prosecute organizations and individuals who violate the law. At the same time, we need to publicly identify, recall all violating products, and permanently ban establishments that deliberately repeat the offense. Acts that harm public health must be considered unforgivable crimes.

Third, apply technology to make the market transparent and protect consumers. It is necessary to build a national warning system for counterfeit goods in the medical and food sectors, integrated on a digital platform, connected to the market management, medical, customs and police systems. People need tools to quickly look up products, brands, registration numbers, and easily report signs of violations.

Fourth, raise social awareness and promote community participation. Counterfeit goods exist not only because of institutional loopholes, but also because of the ease and even indifference in consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen communication and community education, affirming that: "Safety in meals and pills is the minimum and sacred right of every human being " . At the same time, it is necessary to promote the social supervision role of professional organizations, industry associations and consumers - as a second, independent and proactive layer of defense.

Strictly and promptly handle violations of the law on production and trading of essential goods serving people's lives, especially dairy products, modern medicines, and health protection foods - Illustrative photo

There can be no gray area for lies.

General Secretary To Lam's directive establishes a clear ethical boundary: there is no room for deception in areas related to human life. A civilized country cannot allow counterfeit and fake goods to be present in food and medicine. A constructive state cannot allow its people to eat in anxiety and take medicine in doubt.

We can tolerate errors in management, we can accept some risks in policy, but we absolutely cannot compromise with lies that threaten human life.

Therefore, let's do everything - with strict laws, with modern technology, with the conscience of those responsible - to realize the General Secretary's directive: Not to let a single pill or package of fake food get through the State's protection system.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/khong-duoc-phep-gia-doi-voi-su-song-con-nguoi-5050673.html