Which Places Are Completely Banning Electronic Cigarettes in 2024? Are Children in Vietnam Allowed to Use Electronic Cigarettes?
In 2024, where is e-cigarette smoking completely banned?
Based on the provisions of Article 11 Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm 2012, the locations where e-cigarette smoking is completely banned are as follows:
(1) Locations where e-cigarette smoking is completely banned indoors and within premises include:
- Medical facilities;
- Educational institutions;
- Facilities for the care, nurturing, play, and entertainment of children;
- Facilities or areas with high risk of fire and explosion.
(2) Locations where e-cigarette smoking is completely banned indoors include:
- Workplaces;
- Colleges, universities, academies;
- Public places, except in cases where smoking is completely banned indoors and within premises, and places where smoking is banned indoors but designated smoking areas are permitted.
*Note: Public transportation vehicles where smoking is completely banned include automobiles, airplanes, and electric trains.
Where is e-cigarette smoking completely banned in 2024? Can children in Vietnam smoke e-cigarettes? (Image from the Internet)
Can children in Vietnam smoke e-cigarettes?
Based on the provisions of Article 9 Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm 2012, the prohibitions include:
Prohibited acts
1. Producing, trading, importing, storing, and transporting counterfeit tobacco, products designed to resemble packs, boxes, or cigarettes; trading, storing, and transporting raw tobacco materials, smuggled tobacco.
2. Advertising and promoting tobacco; directly marketing tobacco to consumers in any form.
3. Sponsorship by tobacco business organizations and individuals, except as stipulated in Article 16 of this Law.
4. Persons under 18 years of age using, buying, or selling tobacco.
5. Employing persons under 18 years old to buy or sell tobacco.
6. Selling or supplying tobacco to persons under 18 years old.
7. Selling tobacco via vending machines; smoking or selling tobacco at prohibited locations.
8. Using images of tobacco in media and publications intended for children.
9. Persuading or coercing others to use tobacco.
Thus, according to the above regulations, children are not allowed to use, buy, or sell any type of tobacco, including e-cigarettes.
The Prime Minister requests to strengthen the management of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco at Official Telegram 47/CD-TTg?
On May 13, 2024, the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam issued Official Telegram 47/CD-TTg in 2024 to strengthen the management of e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco.
In recent years, the work of preventing and combating the harm of tobacco has initially achieved encouraging results, with the rate of conventional cigarette use decreasing by an average of 0.5% per year among men.
However, recently, the market has seen the emergence of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and the use of these products has shown many complex developments, with the usage rate tending to increase quickly in the community, especially among young people, adversely affecting the health of users.
To strengthen control and promptly prevent the harm of using e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam requests:
(1) Ministry of Health:
- Inform, educate, and communicate about the harms of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to units, organizations, and individuals under its management;
- Research and propose to issue or submit to competent authorities solutions to manage e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
(2) Ministry of Finance:
Direct the Customs forces to strictly inspect and control the transportation of smuggled e-cigarettes and heated tobacco through border gates and control areas of Customs, establishing special cases to combat smuggling rings and groups dealing in e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
(3) Ministry of National Defense:
Direct border forces to intensify patrols and control in border areas, paths, and openings to promptly detect and handle smuggling, storing, and transporting smuggled e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
(4) Ministry of Public Security:
Direct police forces at all levels to strengthen investigation, monitor the situation, establish special cases, concentrate on combating and dismantling smuggling rings, groups, and key players mixing prohibited substances into e-cigarette liquids for prosecution.
(5) Ministry of Industry and Trade:
Direct market management forces to strengthen control of the domestic market, regularly inspect and strictly handle organizations and individuals trading, storing, and transporting smuggled e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
(6) Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall direct press agencies to communicate and propagate the harms of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
(7) National Steering Committee on Combating Smuggling, Commercial Fraud, and Counterfeit Goods (National Steering Committee 389) shall directly direct Steering Committee 389 of Ministries, sectors, and localities to monitor, urge, inspect functional forces' implementation of this Official Telegram of the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.
(8) People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall direct local authorities and relevant functional forces:
- Regularly inspect, check, and strictly handle violations of smuggling, transporting, storing, and trading e-cigarettes and heated tobacco not yet authorized for sale and use in the Vietnamese market;
- Intensify information, education, and communication about the harms of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the public.
(9) Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha is assigned to direct the implementation of this issue; the Office of the Government of Vietnam shall monitor, urge, and advise the Deputy Prime Minister to direct, inspect, and handle arising issues.
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