Vietnam is planning to ban investments and business activities related to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Photo credit: Needpix.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health wants the amended Law on Investment to clearly ban all investment and business activities related to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, reports Vietnam News. The ministry said this change keeps the law aligned with Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly, which states: “The National Assembly agrees to ban the production, trading, import, storage, transport, and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025.”
The ministry also pointed to Decision No. 1665/QĐ-TTg, issued by the prime minister in August 2025. The decision directs the Ministry of Finance to review and update the Law on Investment so it matches current laws and real-world needs.
According to the Ministry of Health, adding e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the list of banned business sectors follows clear political and legal instructions, not a separate or optional proposal.
National Assembly deputy Lê Hoàng Anh raised this issue, saying the current draft law only lists traditional tobacco as a conditional business sector and does not ban e-cigarettes or heated tobacco. He called this a “policy setback,” saying it goes against Resolution No. 72 of the Politburo on public healthcare and does not follow the strong direction of party general secretary Tô Lâm, who wants to protect young people from addiction and social harm.
“If left unchanged,” he said, “Vietnam would be leaving the door open for a highly toxic and addictive product to enter the market.”
He added that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco also create wider social and security risks. He noted a sharp rise in cases where criminals mix synthetic drugs, cannabis extracts, and hallucinogenic substances into vape oils.
“Drug traffickers are using e-cigarettes as the perfect disguise to smuggle narcotics into schools and public spaces,” he said. “If we don’t ban the devices, we are effectively providing criminals with a ‘cover’ to target Vietnamese youth.”
In recent months, police and health authorities have found many cases of students being hospitalized after using vapes that contain toxic or addictive substances.
“There is no such thing as a safe e-cigarette,” Hoàng Anh said. “It is simply a gateway to nicotine addiction.”
Many countries already ban e-cigarettes to protect young people. Hoàng Anh warned that Vietnam could become “the world’s dumping ground” for products banned in other countries if it does not take similar action.
He urged the National Assembly to include the ban in Article 6 of the amended Investment Law, saying, “This is not only a matter of public health but also of national responsibility for the country’s future.”
“Adding e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the list of prohibited business activities demonstrates unity with the Party’s direction and our shared determination to protect the people, especially the young generation,” he said.