WITH six out of 10 member-nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) banning vape and electronic cigarettes, health advocates are now strongly urging the Philippines to follow suit.
In a statement, the Health Justice Philippines (Health Justice) and the Southeast Asian Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) urged the Philippines to follow the imposition of a comprehensive ban on vapes and e-cigarettes.
“The Philippines should join the ranks of its ASEAN neighbors, which have adopted stricter regulations, including a total ban on e-cigarettes and vapes,” said Health Justice board member Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan.
“We urge all nations to adopt similar bans to protect present and future generations from these addictive and deadly products,” said SEATCA executive director Dr Ulysses Dorotheo.
They noted Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei have all imposed comprehensive bans on e-cigarettes and vapes.
More recently, they said, Vietnam imposed a ban on the production, trade, importation, storage, transportation, and use of e-cigarettes beginning 2025.
“By banning e-cigarettes, Southeast Asian countries are taking decisive action to protect public health, particularly for their younger populations, and to prevent a new generation from falling prey to nicotine dependency,” said Tan.
“The Philippines must not lag behind, but rather, seek to act proactively to safeguard the health of its people,” said Dorotheo.
Based on the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, about one in seven Filipino students aged 13 to 15 was found to be using vapes and e-cigarettes.
According to Health Justice, the Vape Regulation Law is insufficient to protect Filipinos from the harms of vaping.
“Unfortunately, the industry-friendly Vape Regulation Law does little to curb this trend, offering only weak oversight of these harmful products,” said Tan.
