Proposal to Raise Legal Smoking Age to 21

On the morning of October 21, during deliberations on the draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, Delegate Nguyen Hai Long, a full-time member of the Deputy Affairs Committee, argued that the current 18-year-old threshold is insufficient to shield youth at high risk of picking up the habit.

According to Long, prior to turning 18, most teenagers live with their families, attend high school, have limited personal income, and remain under parental and school supervision. However, upon entering university, joining the workforce, or moving out independently, young adults face increased access to tobacco products while becoming more susceptible to peer influence.

Citing data from the Ministry of Health, the delegate pointed out that the smoking rate among males aged 15–19 stands at 5.46%, whereas it jumps nearly sixfold to 32.6% in the 20–24 age bracket. Roughly half of daily male smokers begin smoking at or after age 19. Furthermore, a 2024 survey of over 1,000 students at Phenikaa University revealed that individuals with smoking peers face a 7.6-fold higher risk of taking up smoking themselves.

Delegate Long emphasized that these figures highlight the post-18 period as a critical window for tobacco prevention. A US study indicated that 67.5% of lifetime smokers develop nicotine dependence, compared to an alcohol dependence rate of 22.7%. Meanwhile, a longitudinal study in Canada documented that many individuals require 30 or more quit attempts before achieving lasting success.

Therefore, according to Long, preventing youth smoking initiation is vastly more impactful than relying solely on cessation support after addiction takes root. “It is necessary to raise the minimum age for purchasing and using tobacco to 21, instead of 18 as currently enacted,” he urged, citing a 2015 Institute of Medicine (US) evaluation model showing that raising the minimum age to 19 could reduce smoking rates by 3%, raising it to 21 could yield a 12% reduction, and raising it to 25 could cut rates by 16%.

He added that a age-21 threshold offers three additional years of structural protection during a highly vulnerable stage without imposing overly restrictive limits on fully settled working adults or married individuals. At least 15 nations currently enforce a minimum age limit of 21 for tobacco. Singapore serves as a prime example, setting the legal purchasing age for tobacco at 21—higher than its 18-year minimum for alcoholic beverages.

A “No Smoking” sign mounted on an agency entrance gate. 

Ban on Tobacco Displays at Retail Outlets

Earlier, while presenting the draft law, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan—authorized by the Prime Minister—stated that the Government proposes banning the display of tobacco products at wholesale and retail points of sale, including packaging, images, and brand-identifying signage.

Current legislation prohibits tobacco advertising but permits retail venues to display a maximum of one pack or one carton per brand variant. The Government contends that counter and shelf displays act as indirect advertising, repeatedly exposing products to consumers, particularly children and adolescents.

The draft amendment also prohibits tobacco sales via e-commerce platforms and other digital transaction channels, alongside a blanket ban on direct-to-consumer marketing designed to promote purchase or usage.

Delegate Nguyen Hai Long voiced strong support for heightening vendor accountability, requiring identity verification via electronic ID on VNeID to confirm buyer age, as well as measures restricting tobacco marketing and retail. However, he maintained that raising the minimum age remains essential for these safeguards to effectively protect young people.

The examining body for the draft bill, the Committee on Culture and Education, also endorsed the display ban to curb disguised advertising. The committee further recommended expanding graphic health warnings on packaging to cover at least 85% of each main front and back surface, or establishing a roadmap toward 100% coverage.

Additionally, the draft bill codifies the nationwide ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products previously mandated by the National Assembly under Resolution 173/2024, effective from 2025. The revised text incorporates explicit provisions prohibiting related products, raw materials, devices, and associated behaviors to tightly regulate manufacturing, trading, and consumption.

The draft law is scheduled for further floor debate in the National Assembly on November 9, with formal passage targeted by the end of the legislative session.

Source: vnexpress.net