Proposal to the National Assembly to ban electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products

On the afternoon of October 29, the Ministry of Health held a workshop to announce the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

On the afternoon of October 29, the Ministry of Health held a workshop to announce the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

The Deputy Minister of Health said that active and passive smoking is the second leading risk factor for death and illness.

It is estimated that by 2022, the health damage to society caused by active and passive smoking (including medical examination and treatment costs, loss of labor productivity due to illness and premature death from smoking) will account for 1.14% of GDP, equivalent to VND 108.7 trillion. This cost is 5 times higher than the tax revenue generated by tobacco.

Deputy Minister of Health speaking at the meeting.

According to Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan, in recent years, many new tobacco products have appeared on the market. Although they are not yet allowed to be imported, advertised, used and sold, in Vietnam, the rate of use of these products has been increasing rapidly in recent times, especially among middle and high school students in urban areas.

Authorities have warned about the use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products to circulate and use illegal drugs.

Hospitals have reported hospitalizations related to e-cigarettes, including poisoning from synthetic drugs found in cigarettes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that all new cigarettes are toxic, containing many different toxins that cause cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.

Therefore, the emergence of new tobacco users increases the risk of using drugs and other addictive substances, causing a disease burden and exacerbating public health, security and environmental problems.

Vietnam has signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The convention calls on parties to implement measures to prevent and promote cessation and reduce tobacco use in all its forms.

“The above reality requires Vietnam to take strong action to prevent new cigarettes. The immediate solution is to propose the National Assembly to issue a resolution banning the production, trading, import, advertising, and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products,” Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan emphasized.

The Ministry of Health is preparing a dossier to amend and supplement a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms. At the same time, it will implement the conclusion of the National Assembly's Social Committee at the session explaining the responsibility for state management of prevention and control of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, in which the Ministry of Health is assigned to preside over and coordinate research and assessment of the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in 2024 to publish official information on the harmful effects of these products.

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan said that the Ministry of Health has assigned the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, in coordination with the Institute of Health Strategy and Policy, the Department of Legislation, and the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, to research, collect and analyze domestic and international reports on the harmful effects of new tobacco products, thereby proposing preventive measures.

The Ministry of Health officially announced the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products through the above research results to agencies of the National Assembly, the Government, ministries, branches and localities across the country.

At the same time, it is recommended that ministries and branches widely disseminate the harmful effects of new cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and heated tobacco products to people, especially teenagers, contributing to raising people's awareness of the harmful effects and the need to prevent these products.

Sharing about violations related to e-cigarettes and new cigarettes, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duy Trung, Deputy Head of Department 5, Department of Drug Crime Prevention and Control, Ministry of Public Security said that in 2022, the police nationwide detected and handled 178 cases/215 subjects related to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (of which 43 cases/71 subjects were prosecuted for drug crimes; 1 case/1 subject was prosecuted for smuggling; 105 cases/104 subjects were administratively handled for trading in goods of unknown origin).

In 2023, the police nationwide detected and handled 439 cases/516 subjects related to electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products (of which 86 cases/155 subjects were prosecuted for drug crimes, 1 case/1 subject was prosecuted for smuggling, 1 case/1 subject was prosecuted for manufacturing and trading in counterfeit goods, the rest were administratively handled for trading in goods of unknown origin).

In the first 6 months of 2024, related to electronic cigarettes containing drugs, the police nationwide discovered, arrested, and prosecuted 35 cases/83 defendants; handled 24 cases, 31 subjects related to buying, selling, transporting, storing, and using electronic cigarettes containing drugs.

New generation cigarettes are not only smuggled into Vietnam, but there are also businesses importing components, essential oils and organizing processing and production in Vietnam in large quantities.

On the side of the Ministry of Education and Training, Mr. Nguyen Huy Nho, Deputy Director of the Department of Physical Education, also stated the current situation of the use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products among students, which has increased sharply in recent years.

Accordingly, the Ministry has conducted a survey on the current situation of new tobacco use among students (in 2029, 2021 and 2023) in the 13-17 age group, showing that the situation of students using new tobacco has increased rapidly over the years. If in 2019, the rate of students using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products was 2.6%, then in 2023 it increased to 8%.

We are very concerned when students use e-cigarettes because it not only seriously affects students' physical health, but it also greatly affects their mental health.

“The situation of mixing drugs with new tobacco products is related to lifestyle if children are addicted to new tobacco products. From there, they show deviant behaviors such as lying, petty theft... The Education sector is very concerned about this issue," Mr. Nho expressed.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/de-xuat-quoc-hoi-cam-thuoc-la-dien-tu-thuoc-la-nung-nong-d228672.html