USERS of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes are requesting local government units to enact legislation that will identify and assign designated vaping areas (DVAs), similar to the newly approved Pasig City Ordinance No. 07 Series of 2019.
The ordinance, entitled “Regulating the Use and Sale of Vaporized and Heated Tobacco Products in Public Places and Public Conveyances, Advertisements and Promotions, and Providing Penalties Therefore” requires a DVA to be in an open space or a room with proper ventilation but must be separate from a location that has already been identified as a designated smoking area (DSA).
According to Joey Dulay, president of the Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association (PECIA), the identification and assignment of DVAs protects e-cigarette users from the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, including exposure to second and third-hand smoke.
“Vaping is not smoking,” Dulay stated. “It is therefore counterproductive to continue to expose e-cigarette users to the harms of second hand smoke”. The creation of DVAs will also help vape users use their devices more responsibly, and protect non-smokers from being exposed to secondhand vapor.”
“We strongly encourage the government to immediately approve the fair and equitable regulation of the ENDS category, in cognizance of the products’ harm reduction potential, so that the welfare of both vapers and non-smokers are duly provided for. As examples from other countries show, a pragmatic approach to e-cigarettes lead to a sharp decline in cigarette sales, and a significant reduction in smoking prevalence,” Dulay said.
