Philippine Health Department Pushes Total Vape Ban, With Tobacco-Only Flavor Limit as Alternative
Philippines health officials urge a total vape ban or, alternatively, tobacco-only flavors to curb youth nicotine addiction and related health risks.Summary
The Philippine Department of Health is advocating for a comprehensive ban on vape products. If a full ban is not feasible, DOH officer-in-charge Director Dr. Dominic Maddumba recommends restricting vapes to plain tobacco flavors to reduce their appeal to minors. The department warns that e-cigarettes and tobacco products can cause cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other lung illnesses. The World Health Organization has flagged an alarming rise in nicotine addiction linked to e-cigarettes, with millions of children reportedly using vape products. At the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Senator Risa Hontiveros highlighted that young Filipinos, some aged 13 to 15, are already using vapes, attributing the trend to product appeal, accessibility, affordability, and weak online age verification. The committee reviewed Senate Bills 21, 534, and 1918 (the proposed Vapes and HTPs Regulation Act) to reassess policies, with proposed measures aiming to shift policy from regulating market access to prioritizing public health by reducing overall nicotine exposure and potentially moving oversight from trade-focused agencies to health authorities.
(Source：2Firsts)
