The Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have expressed full support to the Department of Finance’s (DOF) proposed ban on unauthorized online selling of alcohol, cigarettes and other “sin” products.
In a joint statement shared by the DOF, the DOH and FDA said they will work closely with the DOF and the Department of Trade and Industry as well as other government agencies to develop “a comprehensive regulatory framework to allow only legitimate and registered (online) sellers and place appropriate safeguards to protect vulnerable age groups.”
Their support for the ban on the unregistered online selling of “sin” products also covers electronic cigarettes “and other novel tobacco products.”
Carlos Dominguez, DOF secretary, earlier said the department will work to ban the unauthorized sale of liquor, cigarettes and other “sin” products in the electronic marketplace to ensure that these vice-inducing goods are no longer accessible to minors.
This was after he discovered some digital commerce platforms are selling popular alcohol products and cigarette brands, with some of them being offered at big discounts.
The DOF said the only way to monitor whether such online transactions are not being offered to minors is a click box warning the buyer should be “at least 18 years old to enter” the seller’s page.
“The Philippines has come a long way in safeguarding the public from the dangers of tobacco and alcohol consumption through its taxation policies and stringent regulatory measures. With wider and easier access to ‘sin’ products through technology, regulatory purview should be expanded to ensure that online selling is similarly covered,” the DOH and FDA said in their statement.
“It cannot be overstated that in this time of the (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, health should be of utmost priority. Products that increase the risk of contracting and developing a more severe form of COVID-19 and its comorbidities should be avoided, if not totally eliminated. The DOH and FDA further stress that now is the time to quit and for the youth not to take up this habit,” they added.
The DOH and FDA said their support for this DOF initiative is “consistent with our effort towards a comprehensive prohibition of all forms of advertising, promotions and sponsorships by the alcohol and tobacco industries.”
They said the government “must exercise its duty to protect the health of the people, especially of teenagers who can potentially use online platforms to freely access these products and pick up the habit of smoking and/or alcohol drinking in the long term.”
Consumer safeguards such as seller registration, product quality and safety mechanisms to validate recipients of “sin” products are essential to preventing minors from purchasing these online, the DOH and FDA said.
Meanwhile, in a Viber message to finance reporters, Dominguez said the government will evaluate if there is a need for more laws or regulations to further deter illicit cigarette trade, as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has recently reported several seizure activities involving smuggled cigarettes.
“When the law was passed increasing the excise taxes on tobacco products, we warned of a possible increase in illicit trade. We therefore strengthened the law enforcement teams of both the BOC and Bureau of Internal Revenue, and these teams have been performing their jobs pretty well as evidenced by their identification and shut down of the illicit operations.
They will intensify their efforts,” Dominguez said.
Excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, have substantially increased since President Duterte signed two “sin” tax reform measures into law.
Republic Act (RA) No. 11346 or the Tobacco Tax Reform was signed into law in July 2019, while RA 11467, which further increased taxes on alcohol, heated tobacco products and vapor products, was signed last January 2020.
“In the meantime, although the current laws and penalties are sufficient, we will put a study group together to determine (if) new laws and regulations are required,” Dominguez said.
