In terms of product ingredients, although called "new generation cigarettes (TLTHM)", heated tobacco products (TLLN) and traditional cigarettes are the same, which is to produce nicotine from the ingredients of tobacco plants and leaves. The big difference between these two products is the operating principle of the product: TLLN only heats without directly burning the cigarette, thereby helping to reduce the concentration of harmful substances more than cigarettes. On the other hand, the impact of TLLN on young people today is very low. This information has been verified domestically and internationally.
Negligible tobacco resin
Scientific research has determined that carcinogens caused by smoking do not come from nicotine but from about 100 toxic substances produced by cigarette smoke, including tobacco tar (tar), which is one of the main causes. In 2020, the National Technical Standard Subcommittee TCVN/TC 126/SC3 New Generation Cigarettes (under the Ministry of Science and Technology) developed 3 national standards (TCVN) on TLLN products.
The development of these standards is based on international standards and foreign standards such as: ISO (International Organization for Standardization), CORESTA (Tobacco Scientific Research Cooperation Center Standards), PAS (British Standards), GOSТ (Russian Federation Standards), SТ RK (Kazakhstan Standards)...
Announcement dated May 7, 2023 of the Ministry of Science and Technology on standards for TLLN
According to the announcement of TCVN, the humidity of TLLN is higher than that of cigarettes but the amount of free water is low, so microorganisms and molds are inhibited, which helps prevent the risk of affecting the health of users. Regarding the content of tobacco tar (tar), while cigarettes are required to regulate the level to ensure the health of smokers, TLLN does not regulate this condition. According to TCVN, due to the nature of TLLN having undergone a special processing, the content of tobacco tar (a substance harmful to smokers) is almost negligible.
TLLN has regulations for carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, while cigarettes do not. This regulation will help identify the heat-not-burn process of this product. This is completely different from cigarettes - because there is combustion, the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides content in cigarette smoke is much higher.
Although both cigarettes and e-cigarettes use tobacco as raw materials, there are significant differences in quality standards between cigarettes and e-cigarettes, so many countries have relaxed regulations for e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes to encourage a reduction in cigarette smoking and an increase in e-cigarette use. For example, in Japan, the government is adopting a combined approach to e-cigarette regulations. Accordingly, e-cigarettes are managed by the Ministry of Finance with a less stringent legal framework than cigarettes, including tax rates, health warning labeling, and restricted areas. E-cigarettes are managed by the Ministry of Health.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van Ngoc, Vice President of the Vietnam Lung Association, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Respiratory Association, the principle of TLLN is to apply a temperature of about below 400 degrees Celsius, reducing the content of toxic substances by 90% compared to conventional combusted cigarettes.
Low risk of impact on youth
Up to now, not only Vietnam but also several other countries are considering allowing the business of electronic cigarettes and e-cigarettes because these products may attract or influence young people. This concern has been carefully considered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before deciding to allow an e-cigarette product to be marketed in the US with the designation of a modified-risk tobacco product, reducing the user's exposure to harmful substances. Dr. Priscilla Callahan-Lyon, FDA representative, said that the e-cigarette product approved by the FDA has a difference, which is that the heating devices are larger in size than most e-cigarettes, and users must purchase the right type of specially made cigarette product that comes with the device from the same manufacturer.
Due to the relatively complex requirements for using the product, Dr. Lyon assessed that the risk for young people to start using TLLN is significantly lower (compared to TLĐT). This product also does not have many different scents like TLĐT types that use fragrances that attract young people (such as fruit and candy scents).
Heated tobacco products use tobacco ingredients, in accordance with the definition of the Law on Tobacco Control
According to the latest 2022 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate of American youth accessing TLLN is very low, just over or under 1% for both middle and high school students.
Similarly, a 2018 study of 60,000 middle and high school students in Japan also showed that only 0.1% used TLLN regularly, and all were previous cigarette smokers.
In the UK, the Anti-Tobacco Foundation ASH presented the results of five large-scale surveys conducted with 11-16 year olds between 2015 and 2017 showing that "most young people only experience using TLTHM and do not become regular users".
In Vietnam, because TLLN appeared after the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention was enacted in 2012, it has not been specifically identified in the current legal system. Therefore, the management of this product is still subject to some debate among ministries and branches. However, most relevant ministries and branches, including the Ministry of Justice as the legal assessment agency, agree that the raw materials of TLLN are no different from regular cigarettes, both from tobacco plants. Therefore, according to the definition of tobacco products, TLLN obviously falls under the scope of regulation of current laws.
Representative of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Le Dai Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of Civil and Economic Law, emphasized: "Regarding TLLN, we affirm that it is a tobacco product because it is made from tobacco materials in the form of cigarette butts, then installed in a device for smoking. Instead of burning the cigarette, this device will heat the tobacco materials. Therefore, saying that there are legal barriers to putting this product under management is incorrect". Accordingly, Mr. Hai said that the remaining ministries and branches need to soon agree with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the management direction for TLLN as well as TLHTM in general to promptly submit to the Government for consideration and promulgation.
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