Vietnamese media investigations show that although vapes and heated tobacco products are banned, related transactions in the market are still active. Transactions on online platforms and social networks are difficult to control, and the trading and use of e-cigarettes are still carried out on a large scale.
Key points:
1. Although vaping and heated tobacco products are banned in Vietnam, the buying and selling activities in the market are still rampant, especially on online platforms.
2. Young people are the main users of e-cigarettes, and they circumvent regulation by trading through social networks.
3. Legal experts suggest strengthening supervision of online platforms to curb illegal vape trading.
According to Vov reported on March 4, from January 1, Vietnam banned the purchase, sale, exchange, and use of vapes and heated cigarette products, violators will face fines and even nearly 15 years in prison. However, this trade is still active in the market and the ban is useless.
Vietnamese media Vov said that entering the keyword “Vape-Pod” into the Google search engine immediately popped up millions of results, showing that hundreds or even thousands of shops around are selling, almost all marked “open”. The reporter randomly selected a shop in Ho Chi Minh City to investigate the sales situation, the owner said that currently only online sales, and guided to add friends through Zalo could choose a variety of products, and the shopping and delivery process can be operated online.
Vape ban a sham, online trading a regulatory blind spot
Not only do the businesses listed on Google continue to buy and sell, but there are also specialized product websites that carefully display various illegal products. At https://ttvape.vn/, all the banned items are detailed, including origin, weight, and price, as well as contact details for traders.
A university student in Ho Chi Minh City said the ban would have little impact on buying vapes, which can be traded through Google, platform websites, and social networks. He pointed out that there are still transactions on many social platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram, and everyone is still exchanging and trading as usual.
It is reported that since the ban was implemented, there has not been too much investigation and punishment of vapes across the country, and the activities of buying, selling, storing, and using these prohibited items are still carried out on a large scale across the country. (Dương Lê Ước An) a lawyer said that although the law has come into effect, it lacks effective enforcement, especially in the face of young people mainly using the Internet to conduct transactions, which makes it more difficult to detect and deal with.
He suggested that authorities should strengthen supervision of social networks and e-commerce platforms, requiring them to delete relevant trading websites and keywords and include them in the banned word library.
It is reported that the National Assembly of Vietnam has passed decision No. 173 since 2025. The production, sale, import, possession, transportation, use of electronic cigarettes, and heating cigarettes are considered illegal acts, and violators will be dealt with according to law. (Related: Vietnam’s General Department of Customs Issues Ban on Import Procedures for E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products from 2025)
