Vietnam to Fine E-Cigarette Users Up to 5 Million VND Starting May 15
The Vietnamese government has finalized Decree No. 90/2026/ND-CP, establishing a strict new framework of administrative penalties for health sector violations. Starting May 15, 2026, the decree heavily targets the consumption, sale, and facilitation of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) nationwide. This regulatory shift marks a significant escalation in Vietnam’s public health policy, moving beyond targeting individual users to holding property owners and businesses legally responsible for vaping violations on their premises. Strict Penalties for Users and Property Managers Under the new decree, individuals caught using e-cigarettes or HTPs will be fined between 3 million and 5 million VND. More notably, property owners or managers who condone vaping or smoking in areas under their control face fines ranging from 5 million to 10 million VND. The law provides a narrow exemption for condonement: individuals will not be penalized if the person vaping is an immediate family member, such as a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or cohabitant. Overview of Key Penalties Under Decree No. 90/2026/ND-CP Violation Type Fine Range (VND) Additional Consequences Using e-cigarettes or HTPs 3,000,000 – 5,000,000 None Condoning vaping/smoking on managed property 5,000,000 – 10,000,000 None (exempts close family) Smoking in designated non-smoking areas 200,000
