High coumarin in smuggled cigarettes raises risk of birth defects

Dr Nguyen Thi Tu Van, former lecturer of the HCM City University of Medicine
and Pharmacy, said “Many international studies have shown that if pregnant
women, especially in the first three months of pregnancy, are exposed to toxic
substances including coumarin via inhalation and ingestion when living in an
environment with these substance, then their child in the womb is at risk of
birth defects such as minor neurological dysfunction, cerebral retardation and
hand, foot, and eye abnormalities.”

Many countries in the world have banned using coumarin in food and cigarettes,
she said, adding that the Ministry of Health also does not allow its
use in food.

However, it is found in smuggled cigarettes in the country, Nguyen Dinh Truong,
head of the Vietnam Tobacco Economic Technical Institute, said at a workshop on
the harm that smuggled cigarette pose for the health of pregnant women and
foetus on September 22 held by the Centre for Assistances for Women and
Reproductive Health Cares under the Vietnam Women’s Union.

Truong expressed concern about the rapid increase of smuggled cigarettes.

During 2013 and 2016, between 17 and 18 billion cigarettes were smuggled into
the country, Truong said.

According to the Vietnam Tobacco Association, the smuggled cigarettes account
for more than 20 percent of the country’s total market, leading to a loss of
around 10 trillion VND (440 million USD) to the State budget every year.

Ninety percent of were JET and HERO, Truong said, adding
that he and his colleagues took samples of these brands for analysing.

The results showed that the coumarin content in these brands were high. The
coumarin content in JET cigarettes was 76.3 ppm and 98.7ppm in HERO cigarettes,
Truong said, and adding that coumarin existing in illegally imported cigarettes
is used to make the cigarettes stronger and more flavorful. By doing so, the
manufacturers aim to increase consumption of their products despite  harms
to local smokers, particularly pregnant women.

According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, tolerable daily
intake is 0.1 miligramme per kilogramme of body weight.

According to him, the increase of smuggled cigarettes is due to their higher
profit margins.

He suggested that the Government should take further drastic measures to
prevent cigarettes smuggling to ensure health for people, especially pregnant
women.

Van said that banning the consumption of smuggled cigarettes would be the best
preventive method.

Pregnant women should go to health facilities for ultrasounds to detect birth
defects, she advised.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Centre for Assistances for Women and
Reproductive Health Cares, said that the Vietnam Women’s Union carried out many
programmes to improve awareness of the risks of cigarettes as well as coumarin
to the health of pregnant women and foetuses.-VNA