The Vietnamese Ministry of Health will further investigate the effects of new tobacco products in 2024 and implement measures to curb their usage, announced Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan.
Deputy Health Minister Thuan made the announcement at an October 29 seminar on the harms of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, while highlighting rising health risks, including acute lung injuries and strokes.
In 2023, Vietnam reported 1,224 hospitalizations linked to these products, with cases of poisoning and lung damage.
The health ministry has proposed a National Assembly resolution to ban the import, production, distribution, sale, and advertising of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The ministry also urged other agencies to support addiction treatment, enforce restrictions, and manage tobacco sales, especially near schools.
Despite a decade of anti-smoking laws, smoking rates remain high, with 41.1% of men in Vietnam still smoking. (Tin Tuc [1], VnExpress [2], QDND [3], Nhan Dan [4])