Advocacy groups urge govt: Raise excise taxes on tobacco, vape products

- Advertisement -

HEALTH advocacy groups yesterday asked the Senate to craft measures that will increase excise taxes on tobacco and vape products to discourage people from using them.

Dr. Maria Encarnita Limpin, director general of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Philippines, told the Senate Committee on Ways and Means hearing on several resolutions filed in connection with the illegal trade of excisable products that smoking tobacco and vaping is expected to increase by around 400,000 due to House Bill No. 11279 or the measure which calls for the suspension of the annual excise tax hikes on tobacco products.

“We recommend the further increase in taxes on all standard tobacco products. The increase may be timely because of the increasing buying capacity of Filipinos. There must be unitary taxes on electronic devices and imposition of similar to standard tobacco products to help effectively deter the young into initiation to vaping and eventually deter them into being initiated to smoking,” Limpin said.

- Advertisement -

Limpin said the government should also have an effective tax administration that includes a trace and track system to be applied to standard tobacco products and electronic smoking devices to record movements of tobacco packs and e-cigarettes/heated tobacco products through the supply chain.

She said that there must be tax stamps applied to all tobacco products and electronic smoking devices together with the use of tax stamp verifier apps throughout the country, and local government units should be actively involved “since they are the first ones to know of the presence of illegal activities in their areas/localities.”

Vincent Merca, of the Child Rights Network, said the low excise taxes on vapes are one of the things that make the product easily accessible to the youth.

“We also urge Congress to implement higher taxes on vapes to reduce consumption among children and youth by making this product less affordable and harder to access,” Merca said.

He said their group is also asking Congress to “maintain and strengthen tobacco excise taxes” so that people will be discouraged from smoking.

While their group acknowledged the objective of congressmen in filing House Bill No. 11279 to address the illicit trade of tobacco products, Merca said “this should not divert the discussion towards tax reduction as a solution to the country’s persistent issues with illicit trades.

“We are deeply alarmed, Mr. Chair, by the proposal presented by the tobacco industry during the previous hearing to lower taxes on tobacco and vape products, citing these as solutions to anti-illicit trade. Such proposals are not only anti-revenue and anti-health but most critically, they are anti-children, anti-youth, therefore they are anti-future,” he said.

“We cannot risk, Mr. Chair, witnessing a surge in young smokers and vapers in the coming years especially amidst the vaping epidemic that is already taking hold among young Filipino children… We enjoin Congress now more than ever to act decisively for a tobacco-free future,” he added.

Merca said the government must ensure stricter monitoring of online platforms “to prevent the sale and promotion of illegal products, especially since children and young Filipinos spend their significant time online” and hence are encouraged to buy vape products online.

He said their group also recommends that the Senate develop its version of the Anti-Illicit Trade bill since the House of Representatives “has already advanced” House Bill No. 11286 or the Anti-Illicit Tobacco Trade Bill to the plenary “which advocates for legislation for heavy penalties for illicit trade.”

Judy delos Reyes, of the Youth Against Vape, said the youth are enticed to buy vape products due to the variation of flavors.

He said he had the chance to talk to vape users aged 14 to 18 who all admitted that they do not know the contents of the product but continue to use them due to their affordable price ranging from P350 to P650.

He said some of them were even dual users – smoking tobacco and vaping alternately.

He said vape products are easily accessible, adding they are available from sidewalk vendors.

Delos Reyes said authorities should be strict in enforcing the law.

“We are continuously calling on our legislators to revisit RA 11900 [Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act]. Limit the flavors of vapes to menthol and tobacco only if the objective of vapes is to help adult smokers kick the habit. The minimum age of access to vape products should be brought back to 21 years old and increase taxes on vapes and e-cigarettes so they cannot be price-accessible to the youth,” he said.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo said vape products should have labels showing the ingredients or contents of the product so that its users would be aware of its harmful effects.

- Advertisement -spot_img

Tulfo said he has a copy of the ingredients used for vape products and admitted that even he has no idea what those chemicals are for.

He said the ingredients include propylene, glycol, nicotine, and benzoic acid.

“If I am a youth, I wouldn’t mind these [ingredients]. What are those? Vape users should be aware of what they put into their bodies. The FDA [Food and Drug Administration] should have an information dissemination campaign to tell vape users the risks of using vapes so that those who want to try the product can decide if they still want to go on,” Tulfo said.

He said the Bureau of Customs should immediately destroy intercepted illegal vapes after information reached him that a large amount of seized vape products are still in a warehouse almost a year since its seizure.

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: