The provincial Market Surveillance Department (MSD) mobilized all 12 of its teams from August 14, targeting stores selling textbooks, school supplies and food near schools.
By September 3, inspections expanded to street vendors, beverage stalls, and convenience shops operating around school gates.
Deputy Head of the provincial MSD, Dinh Van Ha, said the campaign focuses on identifying colored soft drinks, unidentified candies, and substandard food products.
Several violators were ordered to sign commitments and destroy unsafe goods immediately. The department is also preparing leaflets on the dangers of e-cigarettes for province-wide distribution.
School leaders expressed concern over student exposure to harmful products. Tran Thi My Ha, Principal of Hoang Quoc Viet Primary School, said teachers regularly remind pupils not to buy snacks from street vendors. Parents have also coordinated with schools to set up safe pick-up points, limiting access to unsafe street food.
At the secondary level, Nguyen Du School Principal Bui Huu Nghia warned of students being lured into using e-cigarettes and unsafe mixed beverages.
The school works with local police and MSD to raise awareness and prevent the circulation of banned products. Parents are also joining campaigns to educate children on healthy consumption habits.
MSD officers conduct awareness campaigns at a business near Quang Trung Secondary School (Duc Co Commune). Photo: MSD
Authorities confirmed that products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco are no longer openly sold around school gates following the crackdown.
However, MSD teams are required to maintain regular monitoring and enforce strict penalties for future violations. Leaders will be held accountable if inspections are deemed superficial.
The Department stressed that monitoring should not be limited to the start of the academic year but must become a sustained, multi-agency effort involving market surveillance, police, education officials, and local authorities.
Officials said the long-term goal is to raise awareness, encourage voluntary compliance, and safeguard the health of future generations.
