More than 1,200 hospitalizations due to e-cigarette use

Using e-cigarettes increases the risk of using multiple types of cigarettes at the same time

At a recent press conference on tobacco harm prevention, Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Director of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund, said that according to a report compiled from nearly 700 medical examination and treatment facilities, including hospitals under the Ministry of Health, hospitals under the Department of Health and district medical centers: In 2023 alone, there were 1,224 hospitalizations due to the use of e-cigarettes.

Of these, the number of people hospitalized due to e-cigarette use was highest among those aged 65 and over with 580 hospitalizations, those aged 45-64 had 377 hospitalizations, those aged 25-44 had 138 hospitalizations, those aged 19-24 had 58 hospitalizations, those aged 16-18 had 44 hospitalizations and those under 16 had 27 hospitalizations.

According to the World Health Organization, there is increasing evidence that e-cigarettes are as harmful to public health as regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance, so minors who use them may struggle and feel uncomfortable.

Nicotine affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and increases the risk of cancer, angina, heart failure, stroke, immunodeficiency, reduced resistance and other health problems. It is especially harmful to brain development in children, causing memory loss and affecting intellectual development because the child's brain is not yet fully developed.

In addition, e-cigarettes and some new types of cigarettes use many flavors and chemicals that are not from regular cigarette leaves. The ingredients are mixed with many different ingredients, so they can be exploited for drug use.

Through mixing, users can arbitrarily increase the nicotine ratio too much or add drugs and other addictive substances for use without being detected.

"According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking conventional cigarettes. On the contrary, evidence shows that e-cigarette users are at increased risk of using multiple types of cigarettes at the same time," said Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue.

The number of countries and territories banning e-cigarettes is increasing.

Citing data from the World Health Organization and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, USA, Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue said the number of countries and territories applying policies to ban e-cigarette products is increasing.

Specifically, at least 39 countries and territories have completely banned e-cigarette products. Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China) and Venezuela have switched from regulating this product as a pharmaceutical to completely banning it.

In the ASEAN region, there are 5 countries that have completely banned e-cigarettes: Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Brunei and Cambodia.

For heated tobacco products, at least 18 countries have banned them (including 5 ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei).

No country sells heated tobacco products as licensed pharmaceuticals or as prescription drugs under treatment protocols. 71 countries regulate heated tobacco products (27 of which are in the European Union). Regulations regarding the use of preventive measures vary.

In a report on this issue sent to National Assembly Deputies at the session explaining state management of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, the Ministry of Health said that countries and territories apply measures to ban or manage e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products depending on the conditions, socio-economic circumstances, current tobacco use situation and management, monitoring and inspection capacity of each country.

Countries have bans where tobacco control measures under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are not well implemented or comprehensive, adult smoking rates remain high, and there are limited resources for management, monitoring and enforcement.

In particular, these countries choose to apply the "precautionary" principle to prevent the initiation and minimize harm to people caused by new tobacco products when scientific evidence of its harm and effects is insufficient but its increased use in the community makes it urgent to prevent.

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The Ministry of Health has provided information that new tobacco products pose a high potential risk and cause social evils, especially the use of drugs and addictive substances at the same time as e-cigarettes, affecting health and social security and order.

According to the report of the Ministry of Public Security, from 2020 to the first quarter of 2024, the police nationwide detected and handled 728 cases/883 subjects related to new generation cigarettes (of which 162 cases/299 subjects were prosecuted for drug crimes; 2 cases/2 subjects were prosecuted for smuggling; the rest were administratively handled for trading in goods of unknown origin.

Speaking at the session explaining state management of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, Chairwoman of the Social Committee Nguyen Thuy Anh stated that the rate of use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products is increasing, especially among young people, especially students - a group of people with inadequate knowledge and who are easily influenced and enticed.

In the market, there has been a situation of mixing and marinating addictive substances in electronic and heated cigarette products. Meanwhile, advertising and buying and selling via social networks is rampant, lacking quality control, especially smuggled electronic and heated tobacco products.