Vietnam will fine e cigarette users under new tobacco ban which took effect from December 31, 2025. Illustrative photo.
The regulation is set out in Decree 371, issued by the government and effective from December 31, 2025.
Under the decree, individuals who allow the use of e cigarettes or heated tobacco products at premises they own or manage will be fined VND 5-10 million. For organisations, the penalty will be doubled.
The decree defines e cigarettes as products comprising an electronic device, a cartridge containing e cigarette liquid, and the liquid itself. Heated tobacco products are defined as those consisting of an electronic device and specially processed tobacco.
Earlier, at a parliamentary session in November 2024, the National Assembly agreed to ban the production, trade, import, storage, transport and use of e cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025 to protect public health.
Vietnam is the sixth country in the ASEAN region and among 43 countries worldwide to impose a ban on e cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Usage of these products in Vietnam has risen rapidly, particularly among children and adolescents. Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of e cigarette use among adults aged 15 and over increased from 0.2 per cent to 3.6 per cent. Among students aged 13–17, the rate rose from 2.6 per cent in 2019 to 8.1 per cent in 2023.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has warned that this trend poses a serious risk to young people. In 2023, 1,224 people were hospitalised due to poisoning or illnesses linked to e cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
