Tobacco smoking in Vietnam

Smoking is legally allowed in Vietnam but there are some restrictions in place for tobacco products including cigarettes. Based on these regulations, the sale of cigarettes is legal, and importing them for trade is allowed with a license. Tobacco advertising is regulated, enforcing a complete ban on all forms of advertising. Purchasing cigarettes online is permitted; however, sales from vending machines are prohibited. Additionally, the law requires health warnings on all tobacco packaging, sets a minimum legal age of 18 years for sales, and includes legal restrictions on smoking in public places such as healthcare and educational facilities. A total taxation rate of 34.32% is applied on cigarettes, with no specific excise rate.

The prevalence of tobacco smoking among individuals aged 15 years and older in Vietnam has shown significant figures according to available data. The number of current tobacco smokers was approximately 15.8 million in 2024. The adult smoking prevalence indicates a stark gender disparity, with 41.8% of males and only 0.8% of females reported as current smokers. The overall current prevalence of smoking was 20.6%. This marks a slight decrease compared to previous years. In 2020, the overall smoking prevalence was 23.8%, with a prevalence of 47.3% among males and 1.2% among females. For reference, the adult daily smoking prevalence in 2017 was 18.7%, with a prevalence of 37.6% among males and 0.8% among females.

Tobacco smoking has shown to have substantial impacts on mortality rates in Vietnam. In 2021, smoking-related deaths accounted for 14.32% of all deaths in the country. Males had a significantly more deaths with 21.5%, compared to 4.69% among females. The annual number of deaths attributable to smoking reached over 100,000, including 86,291 male and 14,050 female deaths. These statistics underscore the public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in Vietnam and necessitate concerted efforts in reducing smoking prevalence and its health impacts.