THE enactment of the measure seeking to legalize and regulate the use, manufacture and selling of vape products and heated tobacco products (HTPs) could be the ultimate strategy to dramatically cut down, if not totally stop, smoking prevalence in the Philippines, Filipino doctors have said as they pushed for the passage of the vape bill into law.
Dr. Dante Dator, former executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, said that unless the use of vape is allowed, “16 million smokers will continue to smoke and there will be thousands more that will start smoking every year.”
“This is unacceptable from a public health standpoint. We must do everything we can to end the smoking epidemic once and for all and the vape bill is our greatest chance to do that,” said Dr. Dator, adding that the legislation is “the first real anti-smoking measure” since the Tobacco Regulation Act was enacted 20 years ago.
Dr. Fernando Fernandez, past president of the Philippine Dental Association and current secretary general of the Asia Pacific Dental Federation, said that with proper regulation of vape and heated tobacco products, “many smokers, including those patients of mine, will be able to stop smoking once and for all.”
“I also support the more than 15 provisions of the vape bill that seeks to protect our minors from even starting to use this product. The vape bill is definitely a big win for public health,” said Dr. Fernandez, as he cited provisions in the measure that are intended to protect minors, among them the ban on the use of flavor descriptors, ban on the sale of high nicotine vape products (more than 65mg/ml nicotine content), and ban on the use of celebrities and social media influencers in advertising and promotional materials.
The bill also imposes a ban on the sale of vape products within 100 meters of schools, playgrounds and facilities frequented especially by minors.
Medical and scientific communities in the Philippines likewise shared that the enactment of the measure will be a “historic milestone” that will become part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s legacy. “Once enacted into law, it will reinforce the concerted efforts to end the smoking epidemic once and for all, and help save countless lives,” they said.
Former House deputy speaker Rodante Marcoleta, one of the main authors of the vape measure in the 18th Congress, said no less than the World Health Organization has said that vape products and heated tobacco products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
“I remember in one of our forums, the WHO scientist-representative I questioned was forced to admit that vape/HTP products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes,” Marcoleta said.
The last comprehensive law to regulate tobacco products was enacted almost 20 years ago when the Tobacco Regulation Act was passed in 2003 following a massive public campaign called “Yosi Kadiri” by the late health secretary and senator Juan Flavier.
The campaign temporarily slowed down smoking prevalence in the country, but current data show that there are now more than 16 million smokers in the country, with a very low annual quit rate of 4 percent.
A recent survey conducted by ACORN Marketing and Research Consultants, the largest independent Asian research network, has shown that 94 percent of Filipinos agree that the government should enact policies to encourage adult smokers to switch to less harmful tobacco alternatives.
