Lawmakers Push to Include E-Cigarettes in Vietnam’s Revised Investment Law Ban

Key Points

• The 15th National Assembly of Vietnam held its 10th session on November 27, focusing on amendments to the Investment Law.
• Lawmakers proposed adding e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nitrous oxide (N₂O) to the list of prohibited investment and business activities.
• Multiple delegates said the move aligns with the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommendation and Resolution No. 173 of the National Assembly.
• Lawmakers urged a complete ban covering production, import, storage, transportation, and use, not just sales.
• Finance Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng confirmed that the revised law would completely prohibit e-cigarettes and heated tobacco with no exceptions.
• A short transitional clause will be included to protect foreign manufacturers operating before the resolution was enacted.

2Firsts, November 27, 2025 — According to Quochoi.vn, during the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly of Vietnam, chaired by National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and moderated by Vice Chairman Vũ Hồng Thanh, lawmakers discussed amendments to the Investment Law, proposing to ban all investment and business activities related to e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and recreational nitrous oxide (N₂O).

Nguyễn Anh Trí, a representative from Hanoi, said the proposed measure aligns with Resolution No. 173, which bans the production, trade, import, storage, transportation, and use of such products starting in 2025. The World Health Organization (WHO) also sent a letter to Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, urging that the prohibition be codified in the Investment Law “without any exceptions.”

Nguyễn Anh Trí proposed expanding the law’s language to explicitly include production and transportation, suggesting that any transition period should last no more than 12 months. “It makes no sense to ban these products in Vietnam but allow them to be produced here for export,” he said.

Phạm Văn Hòa, a representative from Đồng Tháp province, agreed, warning that allowing export manufacturing could lead to illicit re-importation of the products.

Lawmakers emphasized that the ban’s primary goal is to protect children and adolescents, who are increasingly exposed to new tobacco products. The rate of e-cigarette use among students aged 13–17 rose from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.4% in 2023, while the 13–15 age group saw an increase from 3.5% in 2022 to 7.2% in 2023. In 2023, hospitals nationwide reported 1,224 e-cigarette-related admissions.

Finance Minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng confirmed that the revised draft completely bans e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products without exceptions but allows a limited transition period for foreign manufacturers to mitigate legal risks from potential international disputes.

The minister also stated that the law would add nitrous oxide (N₂O) and other psychoactive substances to the prohibited list, and that the Ministries of Finance, Public Security, and Health would work together to strengthen enforcement mechanisms.

Image source: Quochoi.vn