This is one of the foundations helping Vietnam reference international experience in establishing an appropriate and effective legal framework for managing electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Vietnam needs to reference appropriate tobacco management policies from around the world, reducing harm and adopting approaches used by some countries worldwide.

At the seminar on 'Legal Framework for Managing New-Generation Tobacco Products' organized by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hanoi on August 18th, many experts shared information about the management experience of various countries and recognized the potential for reducing the harm of new-generation tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and heated tobacco products (HTPs).

During the seminar, Dr. Nguyen Hai Cong, Head of the Department of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases at Military Hospital 175, mentioned that there is increasing international scientific research showing the potential of using new-generation tobacco products to reduce health risks for users compared to traditional cigarettes. These products could be a replacement solution for cigarette smokers.

According to Dr. Nguyen Hai Cong, in terms of operation mechanisms and the structure of the two most common types of new-generation tobacco products today, which are e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, both of these products do not use combustion like traditional cigarettes. Instead, they use electronic devices to transform the substances into aerosol containing nicotine. This technical difference allows users to access nicotine without inhaling harmful cigarette smoke, offering significant potential for risk reduction for users and the community. Therefore, organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and Public Health England (PHE) have recognized that new-generation tobacco products, especially electronic cigarettes, have the potential to reduce the harm of tobacco.

Speakers at the seminar

Sharing at the seminar, Ms. Nguyen Thi Cuc, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tax Consultancy Association, stated, "In reality, new-generation tobacco products have been smuggled into Vietnam for a long time without proper regulation, leading to many social issues. My personal perspective is that we should not ban them but rather bring new-generation tobacco products under regulation to avoid tax losses for the state."

In agreement, Mr. Le Dai Hai, Deputy Head of the Civil and Economic Law Department at the Ministry of Justice, said, "From a legal perspective, when a social phenomenon becomes widespread, with genuine consumer demand and real business production needs, all these factors create a basis for asserting that it is time for policymakers to establish legal regulations for new-generation tobacco products. This ensures that the legal framework remains clear and helps us better manage new-generation tobacco products, combat rampant smuggling, control product quality, and increase revenue for the state budget."

Similarly, Mr. Thuong emphasized that whether it is the development of long-term management policies or the implementation of trial policies for both e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, they must be managed cohesively and simultaneously. This will have many positive impacts not only on the business community and consumers but also on government regulatory agencies.

To conclude the seminar, experts expressed consensus that regulating both products would eliminate room for the rampant spread of illicit tobacco, ensure a comprehensive and coherent approach in regulatory policies, contribute to increased revenue from New-Generation Tobacco Products, and support the implementation of harm reduction strategies for tobacco by ensuring consumers have access to quality products that meet management standards, as other countries have already implemented.

According to M. Le (Business Forum Magazine).