Vietnam Introduces Penalties for E-cigarettes

Vietnam has introduced penalties for e-cigarettes: users can be fined up to $190 and must destroy the products.

Vietnam’s Government Decree No. 371, effective December 31, 2025, stipulates that those who use e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products will be fined 3 million to 5 million VND (approximately US$114 to US$190) and required to destroy the products; individuals who allow others to use e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products in their own or managed premises will be fined 5 million to 10 million VND (approximately US$190 to US$380), while the fines for commercial organizations will be doubled.

On January 4, 2026, Vnexpress reported that the Vietnamese government stipulated in Decree No. 371 that those who use e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products will be fined between 3 million and 5 million Vietnamese dong (approximately US$114 to US$190) and required to destroy the products. This decree will take effect on December 31, 2025.

The agreement also stipulates that individuals who allow others to use e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products at locations they own or manage will be fined between 5 million and 10 million Vietnamese dong (approximately US$190 to US$380); for organizations, the fine will be doubled.

The following definitions were agreed upon:

Heated tobacco products are products that include electronic devices and specially formulated tobacco.

The report recalls that at a meeting in November 2024, the Vietnamese National Assembly agreed to ban the production, sale, import, storage, transportation, and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products starting in 2025 to protect public health. Vietnamese Health Minister Dao Hong Lan stated that the ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products stemmed from their negative health effects.

The report also stated that congressional representatives unanimously agreed that it was necessary to supplement the prohibition provisions and strictly control illegal trading activities.

The use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Vietnam is growing rapidly, especially among children and adolescents. From 2015 to 2020, e-cigarette use among adults aged 15 and above rose from 0.2% to 3.6%. Among students aged 13-17, the usage rate increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2023. A preliminary survey of 11 provinces and cities among girls aged 11-18 showed a usage rate of 4.3% in 2023.