National Assembly Deputy Lê Hoàng Anh from Gia Lai Province’s delegation at a NA’s group discussion on Tuesday afternoon.— Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has proposed including a ban on investment and business activities related to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Article 6 of the draft amended Law on Investment, to ensure consistency with Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly.

The ministry said that the move is necessary to maintain uniformity with the National Assembly’s resolution, which explicitly states: “The National Assembly agrees to ban the production, trading, import, storage, transport, and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025.”

The position is further reinforced by Decision No. 1665/QĐ-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on August 2025, assigning the Ministry of Finance to lead the review and amendment of the Law on Investment to ensure coherence with current legislation and practical conditions.

According to the Ministry of Health, adding e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the list of prohibited business sectors is not an isolated proposal but a clearly mandated task, with a solid political and legal foundation.

National Assembly Deputy Lê Hoàng Anh from Gia Lai Province’s delegation made the proposals during a NA’s group discussion on Tuesday afternoon.

Hoàng Anh said the current draft only classifies traditional tobacco as a conditional business line, without banning e-cigarettes or heated tobacco.

Pods and vapes collected from patients admitted to the toxicology faculty at Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội. — Photo from the hospital

He described this as a “policy setback”, contrary to the spirit of Resolution No. 72 of the Politburo on public health care and inconsistent with the strong directives of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm to protect young people from addiction and social ills.

“If left unchanged,” he warned, “Việt Nam would be leaving the door open for a highly toxic and addictive product to enter the market.”

The deputy also sounded the alarm over the wider social and security risks linked to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, noting a sharp increase in cases where criminals have mixed liquid synthetic drugs, cannabis extracts, and hallucinogenic substances into vape oils.

“Drug traffickers are using e-cigarettes as the perfect disguise to smuggle narcotics into schools and public spaces,” he said.

“If we don’t ban the devices, we are effectively providing criminals with a ‘cover’ to target Vietnamese youth.”

In recent months, law enforcement agencies have repeatedly uncovered cases of pupils and students hospitalised due to vaping products containing addictive or toxic substances.

Scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that both e-cigarettes and heated tobacco contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.

Vapour produced by the devices contains hundreds of chemicals, including carcinogens and compounds that cause irreversible lung damage.

Young people are particularly vulnerable due to the products’ enticing flavours and misleading image as a “safer alternative” to traditional smoking, he said.

International studies also reveal a worrying trend that an increasing proportion of teenagers who start with e-cigarettes later transition to conventional tobacco.

“There is no such thing as a safe e-cigarette,” Hoàng Anh added. “It is simply a gateway to nicotine addiction.”

International bans

Globally, many countries have already imposed outright bans as a firm measure to protect the younger generation.

Thailand and Singapore have banned the production, import, sale, and use of e-cigarettes.

In Russia, the State Duma is urgently moving to adopt legislation for a complete ban.

Several European nations have imposed steep taxes, stringent advertising restrictions and flavour bans to curb youth appeal.

Anh warned that without a similar stance, Việt Nam risks becoming “the world’s dumping ground” for products outlawed elsewhere.

He urged the National Assembly to include the prohibition in Article 6 of the amended Investment Law, emphasising that “this is not only a matter of public health but also of national responsibility for the country’s future.”

Adding e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the list of prohibited business activities demonstrates unity with the Party’s direction and our shared determination to protect the people, especially the young generation,” he said.— VNS