The new "wave of nicotine addiction":

Products such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and new tobacco and nicotine products all seriously affect human health and have been reported many times by Hanoi Moi Newspaper.

At the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP11) recently held in Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued strong warnings about the trend of tobacco companies taking advantage of the concept of “harm reduction” to promote these products, causing misunderstanding in the community. Many health experts and National Assembly deputies have recently spoken out, urgently calling for the protection of public health, especially young people, against the threat of a new “wave of nicotine addiction”.

Propaganda to prevent the harmful effects of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes at Sai Dong Secondary School (Phuc Loi ward).

Warning about the explosion of new nicotine products

Warnings at COP11 show that the trend of using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products is spreading rapidly globally, especially among young people. The latest trend data from WHO shows that more than 15 million children aged 13-15 are using e-cigarettes, and 13-15 year olds are nine times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults.

WHO points out the core strategies being deployed by tobacco corporations, including: Deceiving with the language of "harm reduction", self-labeling "less toxic", "safer" to appeal to users' psychology; focusing on eye-catching product design, colors suitable for young people's tastes, using fruit, milk tea, and candy flavors. Along with that, taking advantage of social networks through product review videos , widespread disguised advertising on platforms with a high proportion of young users, promoting advertising via TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube...

Emphasizing “No tobacco product is safe”, WHO reaffirms: Nicotine in e-cigarettes is highly addictive, negatively affecting the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory and digestive systems; especially damaging the brain development of adolescents - the group most susceptible to addiction. In addition, many toxic chemicals, heavy metals and flavorings that have not been fully evaluated have also been found at levels equivalent to or higher than those in conventional cigarettes.

Faced with a worrying general picture, more than 1,400 delegates from 162 countries unanimously committed to drastic action to protect the young generation from the “new wave of tobacco” - in which the biggest priority is to prevent e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from the source.

Proposal to completely ban e-cigarettes

The Vietnamese delegation attending COP11 includes delegates from the Ministry of Health, the Government Office , the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Society, the Ministry of Finance, etc., led by Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment (Ministry of Health) Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund. Mr. Ha Anh Duc emphasized: "Vietnam completely agrees with the WHO's viewpoint: All tobacco products, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other new tobacco products are harmful and addictive. In the context of new tobacco products spreading rapidly among young people, our mission is to protect future generations with strong, decisive policies based on scientific evidence."

Previously, also in November, the Ministry of Health officially proposed to include "electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco" in the List of prohibited investment and business sectors in the draft Investment Law (amended).

At the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, many delegates gave their opinions on the draft Investment Law (amended). Some delegates proposed adding provisions prohibiting investment and trading in electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Delegate Le Hoang Anh (Gia Lai Delegation) said that e-cigarettes are not only difficult to control in terms of ingredients but are also used to mix drugs, becoming a “perfect camouflage tool”. He emphasized that this is not simply a matter of technical management but also a matter of national development orientation, because the nature of the product is inherently toxic and has the potential to cause far-reaching social consequences.

Notably, delegate Nguyen Lan Hieu (Binh Dinh delegation) clearly analyzed the difference between e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Although heated tobacco products are still toxic, e-cigarettes are even more dangerous because they are in liquid form, their ingredients can be easily mixed, and they even contain liquid drugs. He warned that e-cigarettes are being sold 24/7 online, making them very difficult to control, so "if you ban them, you must do it thoroughly and maintain them regularly."

According to the Ministry of Health, adding a prohibition right in the Investment Law (amended) is a timely measure to block the source of supply, avoiding Vietnam becoming an "easy market" for products that are tightly managed in many countries.

In addition to perfecting the law, the Ministry of Health also recommends implementing solutions such as: Continuing to deploy communication and education models in changing behavior such as: "Smoke-free classrooms", "Smoke-free coffee"..., contributing to helping people, workers and students proactively choose a healthy lifestyle.

These efforts show that, together with strong policies, the community can completely create a sustainable “shield” against the new wave of nicotine. And the decision to ban investment and trading in electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products - if included in the Investment Law (amended) - will be a decisive step to help Vietnam protect the health of the race, upholding its commitment to sustainable development that is highly appreciated by WHO and the international community.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/lan-song-nghien-nicotine-moi-bao-ve-gioi-tre-truoc-moi-de-doa-724434.html