Vietnam health ministry proposes ban on tobacco product displays in shops

The proposal was presented on Friday at a policy workshop in Hanoi on revisions to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms.

Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, said that after 13 years of implementation the law had produced notable results, including declines in smoking rates among adolescents and a downward trend among adults compared with previous years. 

However, he said new challenges had emerged that require policy adjustments.

Vietnam still has about 15.8 million smokers, with an adult smoking rate of 20.8 percent, including 41.1 percent among men, Thuan said. 

Tobacco use causes more than 100,000 deaths annually.

The economic burden of tobacco was estimated at VND108.7 trillion (US$4.17 billion) in 2022, equivalent to 1.14 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). 

Including environmental losses such as deforestation, plastic waste, and marine pollution, the total exceeds two percent of GDP each year, he said.

Monitoring in major cities shows an average of 13 tobacco retail outlets around each school, Thuan said, adding that violations of regulations on tobacco sales and display remain common.

Under the draft amendments, the ministry proposes a comprehensive ban on the production, trading, storage, transport, advertising, promotion, sponsorship, harboring and use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and new tobacco products. 

It also proposes banning the display of tobacco products in any form at wholesale and retail outlets.

Nguyen Trong Khoa, deputy director of the ministry's Medical Services Administration, said current law does not prohibit the display of tobacco products. 

Allowing cigarette packs and cartons to be displayed effectively permits point-of-sale advertising and encourages consumption, he said.

He said the proposed ban aims to eliminate disguised advertising, reduce the attractiveness and accessibility of tobacco to children and adolescents, limit unplanned purchases and support smokers seeking to quit.

Khoa said the policy aligns with Vietnam's commitments under the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which calls for a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship where not contrary to the constitution.

Thuan said 59 countries have banned tobacco product displays at points of sale, and those applying the measure have adult smoking rates about seven percent lower than countries that do not.

The ministry proposes that tobacco sales licences include conditions requiring separate storage cabinets not mixed with other goods. 

The cabinets must have doors or curtains that fully conceal cigarette packs when closed and remain closed except when retrieving products, based on Singapore's model.

Nguyen Tuan Lam, a WHO expert in Vietnam, said the law should provide for a comprehensive ban without exceptions and clarify enforcement authority and mechanisms.

He said the WHO recommends specifying enforcement forces, penalties based on severity and repeat violations, standards for no-smoking signage, responsibilities of facility heads and mechanisms for the public to report violations. 

The WHO also recommends considering the removal of indoor smoking areas and smoking areas on public transport, expanding smoke-free environments at universities and promoting digital tools such as hotlines and reporting applications to strengthen oversight.