Amid an increase in the sale and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products among young people, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee has called for stronger inspections and measures to prevent the smuggling, transportation, sale, storage and illegal use of tobacco products.
On September 7, the HCMC Party Committee issued Directive No. 23-CT/TU on strengthening Party leadership over efforts to combat the smuggling, transportation, production, sale, storage and illegal use of tobacco products in the city.
The directive said illegal smuggling, transportation, production and sale of tobacco products remain complicated, with increasingly sophisticated and organized methods and tactics. Violators are taking advantage of e-commerce, social media, postal services, delivery services and goods distribution networks to sell illegal products, resulting in lost state revenue.
Notably, the sale and use of smuggled tobacco, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are showing an upward trend, particularly among adolescents and young people, posing potential risks to public health, security, public order and the effectiveness of state management.
The Standing Committee of the HCMC Party Committee called on Party committees and organizations at all levels, government agencies, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the city's socio-political organizations to strengthen leadership and direction in preventing and combating violations involving tobacco, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Heads of government agencies, organizations and units must be held accountable before competent authorities if they fail to exercise proper leadership and management, allowing the smuggling, production, transportation and illegal sale of tobacco products to become complicated and prolonged without timely measures to prevent and address the violations.
The Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee also called for stronger management, monitoring and inspections to promptly detect and strictly handle the advertising, offering for sale, trading and transportation of smuggled tobacco, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products on e-commerce platforms, social media and digital platforms.
City police have been tasked with focusing on combating and dismantling networks, organizations and ringleaders involved in the smuggling, transportation, production, sale and illegal storage of tobacco, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, particularly organized, interprovincial and cross-border operations and those using high technology.
