Vietnam says no to vapes and heated tobacco products. Photo credit: Arthur Hidden, Freepik.
Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA) approved a sweeping ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTP), and “other substances that cause addiction or harm to human health,” prohibiting their production, sale, import, storage, transportation, and use, effective from 2025.
The resolution also urged stronger public education initiatives, focusing on youth and teenagers, to highlight the dangers of alcohol, beer, tobacco, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and other harmful substances.
Leading up to this November 30 decision, Vietnam’s minister of health, Đào Hồng Lan, had told NA in a session on November 11 that there was a rapid rise in the use of e-cigarettes and HTP, particularly among young people, highlighting it as a pressing public health concern. According to Lan, e-cigarettes and HTP affect the heart, liver, lungs, and can even cause psychotic disorders
Citing a 2020 survey conducted across 34 provinces and cities, the minister revealed that the rate of e-cigarette use among adults aged 15 and over had surged 18-fold—from 0.2% in 2015 to 3.6% in 2020. The highest prevalence was recorded among individuals aged 15 to 24. Another survey indicated a growing trend of use among women and girls, underscoring the widening demographic reach of these products.
During the session, Lan proposed amendments to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, which included explicit provisions to ban e-cigarettes and HTP.
Vietnam has a long history of enforcing strict anti-smoking regulations.