Are You Going to Danang-si, Gyeonggi-do? Electronic Cigarettes Are Not Allowed

Vietnam National Assembly Approves Electronic Cigarette Ban Resolution
Government to Soon Establish Specific Regulations

A scene from an Ao Dai show held in Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

As the Vietnamese government plans to impose a complete ban on electronic cigarettes starting next year, Korean tourists visiting Vietnam in the future need to exercise caution. On the 1st (local time), the local media VN Express reported, "On the 30th of last month, the Vietnamese National Assembly approved a resolution to broadly ban electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products from next year with 96% of the voting members in favor."

The resolution includes prohibiting the production, sale, import, storage, transportation, and use of electronic cigarettes to protect public health. Accordingly, the government must prepare and implement specific measures necessary to block electronic cigarettes. The National Assembly urged the government to enforce the electronic cigarette ban and widely raise awareness among the younger generation about the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes.

The government is also voicing efforts to eradicate electronic cigarettes. On the 11th of last month, Dao Hong Lan, Minister of Health of Vietnam, proposed amending related laws at the National Assembly, stating that electronic cigarettes are harmful to health and should be banned. At that time, Minister Lan said, "The use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products is rapidly increasing, especially posing potential health and safety risks to adolescents."

In fact, the usage rate of electronic cigarettes among those aged 14 and older in Vietnam rapidly increased from 0.2% in 2015 to 3.6% in 2020, with the highest usage rate among those aged 15 to 24. Vietnam has had less strict smoking regulations compared to Korea, with indoor smoking frequently occurring, but once the electronic cigarette ban is fully implemented, the use of electronic cigarettes is expected to become subject to penalties. Although specific regulatory measures have not yet been announced, depending on the content of the detailed regulations prepared by the government, tourists’ use of electronic cigarettes may also be subject to punishment.

According to a recent research commissioned by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, synthetic nicotine, which accounts for most electronic cigarettes, has been found to have high toxicity. The report pointed out, "Synthetic nicotine e-cigarette sellers have claimed that synthetic nicotine solution is 'pure nicotine' refined through purification and less harmful than tobacco nicotine (natural nicotine) solution," but "research results show that the actual synthetic nicotine solution contains many harmful substances."

It further emphasized, "Synthetic nicotine should be regulated in the same way as tobacco nicotine," and "It is desirable to manage synthetic nicotine and tobacco nicotine without distinction, as done in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada." The detection of many harmful substances in synthetic nicotine solution is believed to be due to the use of various reactants and organic solvents during the nicotine synthesis process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.