Police in the southern city of Cần Thơ seized 28,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in a raid in late August. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The government has officially submitted for parliament review the proposed banning of online tobacco sales and barring retailers from displaying tobacco products, in a bill that would also tighten the ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan presented the draft amendments of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms to the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday.

The Committee on Culture and Social Affairs, which reviewed the draft for the legislature, broadly endorsed it and urged lawmakers to go further on health warnings for cigarette packs.

Under the draft, tobacco could not be sold through e-commerce platforms or other electronic channels. The government said online transactions make it hard to verify buyers’ ages, raising the risk of sales to people under 18.

The bill would also ban tobacco displays at points of sale unless the government rules otherwise. The government said shelf displays, lighting and other fixtures can work as indirect promotion even though tobacco advertising is already prohibited.

The committee backed the measure, saying it would make tobacco less visible in shops and limit access for children and teenagers.

On e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, which the NA banned by resolution in 2024, the draft would define prohibited activities more precisely, from production and sale to possession, transport and cross-border trade.

The ban would extend to devices, loose components and the liquids used to assemble e-cigarettes, and the bill adds rules on nicotine pouches, shisha and some tobacco raw materials. The changes aim to close an enforcement gap: authorities have seized loose parts and e-liquids but have struggled to find a legal basis for penalties.

Emergency cases linked to the products have dropped sharply since the NA resolution, the government’s submission said. Hà Nội’s Bạch Mai Hospital took in 120 such cases over the 22 months before the ban and now sees about one or two a month.

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan introduced the draft law on tobacco and cigarette on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

For conventional cigarettes, the committee recommended that warnings cover at least 85 per cent of the front and back of packs and cartons, or that a timetable be set to raise the share to 100 per cent.

It also said warnings should be printed directly on the packaging rather than stuck on or hidden under stamps, noting that some products carry only an adhesive label or have stamps covering most of the warning.

The committee proposed that wholesalers and retailers be allowed to refuse sales to customers who cannot prove they are of legal age. It cautioned, however, that any age-verification method set out in implementing rules must collect only the personal data needed and comply with data protection law.

It also urged keeping licensing for tobacco businesses and controls on production investment to hold down output as Việt Nam gradually reduces supply. It asked drafters to review the definition of tobacco raw materials so it does not overlook non-nicotine substances made specifically for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.

Smoking remains widespread in Việt Nam. The government’s submission cited 2021 STEPS survey data showing that 20.8 per cent of adults smoke, including 41.1 per cent of men and 0.6 per cent of women, or about 15.8 million people.

Tobacco is estimated to kill more than 100,000 people a year in the country, including through secondhand smoke, and it imposes high medical costs and economic losses on families and society.

If approved, the law would take effect on July 1, 2027. Revised provisions on smoking cessation would start earlier, on March 1, 2027, while a requirement to publish standards for products such as cigars and cut tobacco would apply from Jan. 1, 2028. — VNS