Strictly punish violations of new generation cigarettes

When e-cigarettes are banned from January 1, 2025, manufacturers, traders and users of these products may be subject to administrative penalties or criminal prosecution.

The National Assembly has agreed to ban the production, trading, import, storage, transportation and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from January 1, 2025 to ensure public health.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Lam (middle) and Ms. Nguyen Thi An (blue shirt) give an interview to Dau Tu Newspaper about the ban on e-cigarettes. Photo: Chi Cuong

Thus, starting next year, electronic cigarettes will be included in the list of prohibited items. If individuals or organizations violate, they will be punished according to current regulations.

The leader of the Legal Department, Ministry of Health said that the punishment for the crime of manufacturing and trading in prohibited goods is based on Article 190 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017.

Accordingly, violators may be fined from 100 million VND to 1 billion VND or imprisoned from 1 year to 5 years. Decree 98/2020/ND-CP of the Government also stipulates administrative sanctions for violations in commercial activities, production, trading of counterfeit and prohibited goods and protection of consumer rights, including tobacco products.

The Ministry of Health is developing a plan and reviewing legal documents to see if there are any legal gaps, and from there proposing adjustments and additions to sanctions to ensure they are appropriate, consistent and synchronous.

In addition, the agency also plans to communicate to raise awareness among people, especially teenagers, about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

The ban on e-cigarettes has been proposed and expected to be passed by the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), many international organizations, units, and people for many years.

Talking to Investment Newspaper reporters on this topic, according to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Lam, representative of the World Health Organization in Vietnam, strictly punishing violations of new generation tobacco is an effective measure to deter and prevent violations.

Taking Singapore as an example, Mr. Lam said that this country imposes very high penalties on violations of users, producers, and traders of electronic cigarettes.

Accordingly, any act of importing, selling or distributing electronic cigarettes is considered a serious violation and will be severely punished.

Individuals, businesses or organizations that violate the law will face the following penalties: Violators can be fined up to SGD 10,000 (about VND 180 million) for each violation.

In addition to the fine, individuals who violate the law can be jailed for up to 12 months, depending on the severity of the violation. If a company is found to be selling e-cigarettes, it can be fined up to SGD 50,000 (about VND 900 million), and the individual responsible within the company can also be prosecuted.

The use of e-cigarettes in Singapore is also strictly prohibited and is subject to heavy fines. Those who use e-cigarettes, whether in public or private spaces, can be fined.

Users of e-cigarettes can be fined up to SGD 2,000 (about VND 36 million) for each violation. If the violation is serious, users can be imprisoned for up to 6 months.

Advertising of e-cigarettes in Singapore is also completely banned, including on social media. Individuals or businesses that advertise e-cigarettes will face severe penalties.

Fines for advertising e-cigarettes can be up to SGD10,000 or 12 months in prison. Businesses that violate the law can have their operating licenses suspended or their business licenses revoked.

In addition to penalties, Singapore also focuses on public education and awareness campaigns about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

The country's government regularly launches campaigns to raise awareness about the health risks of e-cigarettes, especially among young people and parents.

Sharing the view that it is necessary to strictly punish violations related to new-generation cigarettes, Ms. Nguyen Thi An, Director of HealthBridge, said that applying strict penalties for new-generation cigarettes not only helps reduce the use of this product, but also reflects the government's strong commitment to protecting public health.

A policy of banning e-cigarettes and imposing strict penalties could be a strong and practical measure to protect public health, according to Ms. An.

These strict regulations not only help reduce the popularity of e-cigarettes but also contribute to creating a healthier and safer living environment for people, especially the younger generation.

To ensure the effectiveness of the ban, according to Ms. An, we need to implement a number of important actions. First, we need to strengthen supervision and control over the production, import, distribution and consumption of e-cigarette and heated tobacco products.

Authorities must work closely to stop the sale of these products in the market. At the same time, strict penalties for violating the ban must also be thoroughly applied.

In addition, Ms. An said that public education and communication are very important. Awareness campaigns on the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products should be widely implemented, especially among young people. Governments and social organizations should cooperate to convey this message clearly and strongly through the media, schools and communities.

Regarding the policy of banning new generation cigarettes, there are currently about 40 countries, including 5 countries in ASEAN: Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Brunei and Cambodia, banning the use of electronic cigarettes.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/xu-phat-nghiem-khac-hanh-vi-vi-pham-ve-thuoc-la-the-he-moi-d231637.html