Illustrative photo. (Source: AFP/VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Experts voiced concerns over thealarming prevalence of e-cigarette and heat cigarette smoking among young people in Vietnam during a conference held by the Ministry ofInformation and Communications in Ho Chi Minh City on July 23.
Vietnam has striven hard to reduce the number of traditionalcigarette smokers by 1 – 2 percent a year, but it is nothing compared to a sharpincrease in the number of e-cigarette and heat-not-burn tobacco product users, said PhanThi Hai, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF) under the Ministry of Health.
A 2019 survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that the prevalence of e-cigarette users among Vietnamese teenagers aged 13 – 17was 2.6 percent, which is increasing at an alarming rate, she said, adding thatin 2015, only 0.2 percent of Vietnamese people were e-cigarette and heatcigarette smokers.
The tobacco manufacturers have been luring young people byproducts with compact, eye-catching designs and various flavours, Haicontinued, new-generation tobacco products are targeting both non-smokers andsmokers; and in fact, many smokers of traditional cigarettes are also usinge-cigarettes.
She warned that if Vietnam does not prevent the use of e-cigarettefrom expanding further, it will soon face dual impacts of both tobaccoproducts, even those containing drugs.
Doan Thu Huyen, Country Director of the US-based Campaignfor Tobacco-Free Kids, said e-cigarettes and heat cigarettes are having negativeeffects on young people and smokers. There is a higher risk that young peoplemight use drugs and other stimulants while smoking e-cigarettes thantraditional cigarettes, she added.
Huyen suggested a ban on all kinds of e-cigarettes and heatcigarettes should be issued before they become more popular on the market.
Meanwhile, Le Thi Thu from HealthBridge Canada, urgedVietnam to develop a legal framework to control these two tobacco products.Authorities should make extra efforts to inspect and prevent production,imports, marketing and sales of the products, she said./.
VNA
