Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade is studying the formulation of new laws to regulate the operation of vapes and HTP commodities. The law was enacted in response to anxiety in Congress and society about the potential health hazards of new tobacco commodities and to fill a legal gap in the regulation of such products.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade pledges support for ban on new tobacco products
According to a recent report by Baodautu. Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade is studying and formulating a new law on the regulation of cigarettes to replace the current Decree No. 67/2013/ ND-CP.
In this proposal, the Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to include some specific content on the regulation of vape and heated cigarette commodities (HTP). The Ministry of Industry and Trade will work with relevant departments, such as the Ministry of Health, to refine the proposal and report it to the government.
New Vietnam decree coming soon
Nguyen Hung Nyan, Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade (Nguyễn H ng Dien), according to the report submitted to Parliament, which covers the National People’s Congress resolution on the implementation of the consultation as well as the industry and trade areas promised at the last meeting. Earlier, during the seventh session of Parliament, in several workshops and ministerial inquiries, many Members of Parliament expressed concern about the potential harms of new tobacco products, including vapes and HTP products.
In early May 2024, the relevant data attracted widespread attention at a hearing on the government’s responsibility to prevent and control the hazards of vapes and HTP commodities hosted by the Social Affairs Committee of the Congress and in cooperation with the Committee on Culture and Education. According to reports from more than 700 medical institutions, including hospitals directly under the Ministry of Health, provincial Health Bureau hospitals, and county health centers, there were 1,224 hospitalizations due to the use of vapes and HTP commodities in 2023 alone.
There is a legal gap regarding vapes and HTP products
The hearing concluded that there is a legal gap in the prevention and control of hazards from vapes and HTP commodities. One of the main reasons is that ministries and local governments do not have a unified position on the operation of new tobacco products, resulting in the slow implementation of government directives and the failure to enact relevant legal provisions.
At the 7th session of Parliament, some delegates continued to ask the Minister of Industry and Trade how to deal with the new tobacco. “If the Health Ministry determines that new tobacco products are harmful enough to health to reach the level of banning their sale, the ministry supports amending relevant laws and regulations as soon as possible to ensure that such products cannot circulate in Vietnam.” The minister told parliament.
At present, the results of the implementation of this commitment are still “research”, and it is not clear when the relevant management of vapes and HTP products will be completed. The report also pointed out that the Ministry of Health has been assigned to review laws and regulations on the prevention and control of hazards of vapes and HTP products and put forward opinions on amending the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Hazards. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is responsible for developing solutions for the regulation of new tobacco products, under the mandate or referred to the relevant bodies.
