Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade: Strictly control electronic cigarettes and new tobacco, refuse to issue electronic cigarette business licenses

Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade: Strictly control electronic cigarettes and new tobacco, refuse to issue electronic cigarette business licenses

The Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade stated that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has never recommended continuing to pilot electronic cigarette projects and has always supported the stance of banning electronic cigarettes. The ministry is actively promoting the introduction of relevant laws to fill management gaps, while refusing to issue business licenses to relevant e-commerce websites.

 

According to Vietnam's report on November 12th, Nguyen Hong Dien, the Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, explained in detail the management issues of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco during a Q&A session on the afternoon of November 11th.

 

The minister pointed out that since the previous government, electronic cigarettes have rapidly developed in the market due to the lack of management tools. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade once proposed to pilot the management of new tobacco and obtained approval from the previous government. However, in consultation with various ministries and relevant departments, although most departments agree, the Ministry of Health opposes this product, believing that it is harmful to health. In view of this, the Ministry of Industry and Trade supports the opinion of the Ministry of Health that electronic cigarettes are harmful to health and should be banned.

 

He emphasized that the Ministry of Industry and Trade actively promotes the early introduction of a legal framework to prohibit such products, and has never suggested continuing to pilot electronic cigarette projects. In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has refused to issue business licenses to e-commerce websites related to electronic cigarette business and has requested that market management strengthen inspections.

 

To address this issue, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has suggested to the government to develop a strict and clear new tobacco management policy to fill the legal gap. Policies may revise relevant regulations or enact new laws to better address this issue.

 

In the absence of laws, the Ministry of Industry and Trade continues to require market management departments to coordinate with relevant departments, strengthen inspections and management of the operation, storage, and transportation of electronic cigarettes, and strictly follow the Prime Minister's instructions on strengthening the management of new tobacco.

 

The current violations are mainly due to tobacco smuggling, therefore strict border management is required. The Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that it will cooperate with relevant departments to increase media information dissemination, incorporate tobacco hazards into school curricula, and strengthen local government management.

 

Previously, during a Q&A session, Le Hoang Anh, the representative of Calais Province, asked Health Minister Dao Hong Lan, pointing out that according to police reports, the drug-related situation of electronic cigarettes and new tobacco has sharply increased and is difficult to detect.

 

Therefore, the Ministry of Public Security agrees to prohibit the production, distribution, and advertising of such products. However, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce wants to test it for better management. Many voter reports indicate that many tobacco industry interest groups are increasingly pushing to maintain pilot programs for these tobacco products.

 

According to the minister, have these groups been successful in their election campaigns in Vietnam? What responsibility does the Ministry of Health have to provide advice? So far, has the government not taken a clear stance on this issue? "Said Representative Huang Ying.

 

Tao Honglan responded by stating that the position of the Ministry of Health on the proposal to ban electronic cigarettes is clear and consistent.