On February 10, 2026, the Hai Phong Department of Health issued a report regarding the implementation of policies and laws on tobacco control for the 2024-2025 period. This period is considered historic as Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province officially merged on July 1, 2025, creating a metropolitan area with a population of over 4 million people.
Downward Trend in Smoking Rates
According to 2024 research results, the tobacco use rates in both localities recorded significant decreases before the merger:
- In Hai Phong: The general smoking rate decreased from 2% (2020) to 19.0% (2024).
- In Hai Duong: This rate fell sharply from 1% to 12.1%.
However, the report also highlighted new challenges, such as a slight upward trend in tobacco use among women (increasing from 1.8% to 2.2% in Hai Phong). Notably, e-cigarettes are becoming a major risk to youth, with 1.9% of the 15-24 age group currently using these products.
Strict Handling of Illegal Production and Trade
During 2024-2025, inspection and examination efforts were intensified through close coordination between police and market management forces. Several serious violations were dismantled:
- Typical case in Thuy Nguyen (former district): In July 2024, functional forces discovered a large-scale e-cigarette production facility at Friends Hotel, seizing over 106,833 finished productsand nearly 96,000 ml of essential oils. The total value of the evidence reached nearly 7 billion VND.
- Combatting prohibited goods: City police have prosecuted numerous cases of cigarette smuggling, including the arrest of suspects trading 15,100 packs of cigarettes in Thanh Dong ward in early 2025.
Shifting Crop Structure and Reducing Tobacco Area
Hai Phong remains an area with a tradition of growing thuốc lào (water pipe tobacco), with an area of over 1,600 ha in 2025. However, the city is actively mobilizing people to switch occupations. The area for growing thuốc lào has decreased by an average of 40 ha per year (a total reduction of 200 ha compared to 2020). The agricultural sector is encouraging farmers to switch to more effective alternative crop models such as chili, green onions, cucumbers, and watermelons.
Key Tasks for the Future
Despite positive results, tobacco control still faces difficulties due to thin forces and the hard-to-control nature of e-cigarette sales on social media. In the coming time, the city will strengthen management of online business environments and promote education in schools regarding the harms of new tobacco products.
The Department of Health has also proposed that the Central government and the City provide additional funding to maintain interdisciplinary inspection teams and produce modern communication materials, such as infographics and videos, to reach the community more effectively.