Read articles from Philippines

TOBACCO and nicotine products sale and advertising still persist within the proximity of schools in the Philippines despite government regulations, a study shows. An observational study conducted by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health also finds that enforcement of the comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship near schools is "one of the most cost-effective and high-impact ways to reduce demand for tobacco

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the Philippines said it will require importers of raw materials for vaping products to seek special clearances to release their shipments. [...] “For vape products, we are going to require them to (apply for) the authority to release imported goods for raw materials,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said. “We are thinking of ways to regulate because there are so many vape products now. The production of vape products is a backyard industry, so we’re thinking of ways to regulate it.”

MANILA, Philippines —Advocacy groups have warned of the “vape epidemic” among young people and urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to act since children’s lives are at risk.

The Child Rights Network (CRN) and Parents Against Vape (PAV) believe that the government’s education agencies are best suited to enforce Republic Act 11900’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) implementing rules and regulations.

There is enough evidence that support the use of electronic cigarettes as an aid for smoking cessation in adults, says Kenneth E. Warner, PhD, professor emeritus of Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan.

Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are hand-held, battery-operated devices that heat a liquid containing propylene glycol and/or glycerin, flavoring compounds, and typically nicotine to produce an aerosol that users inhale, or vape.

Outraged senators on Monday decried the sale of vaping products that are packaged to entice the youth and demanded that the Department of Trade and Industry uphold the law.

During the plenary session, the Senate adopted an unnumbered resolution, which was referred to the Senate committee on sustainable development goals, innovation and futures thinking, chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri proposed the adoption of a resolution as Cayetano delivered a privilege speech on the unregulated selling of vape products targeting minors through its packaging and flavor.

Over the past decade, the Philippines has achieved a level of international best practice in its tobacco control policies. In 2015, when the number of current smokers went down from 17 million (2009) to 15.9 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) commended the country for achieving the largest number of smokers that quit in a short period of time in the Western Pacific.

Despite the great strides we’ve made in preventing Filipinos from smoking, we face a unique new challenge in the form of electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), otherwise known as e-cigarettes or vapes.

Amid intensifying debate over the regulation of novel nicotine products, the Philippines—despite being known for the murderous drug war waged by former President Rodrigo Duterte—has charted a regulatory course that could be a template for other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia and beyond.

“For the first time in the legislative history of our country, we have achieved a national differentiated regulatory framework governing vaping products and HTP [heated tobacco products],” said Dr. Lorenzo Mata, a central figure in the Philippine movement for balanced regulation and head of the nonprofit Quit for Good. [...]

The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will begin consulting the public for the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the country’s new vape law today, reports ABS-CBN News

“For private stakeholders who have an interest on the crafting of the IRR, they are included, and we will consider all inputs or all comments that were sent,” said DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo.

A respected scientific research and advocacy group welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, which it described as a major anti-smoking regulation that will provide Filipino smokers access to regulated less harmful alternatives.

“The Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines (HARAP) applauds the passage of the new ‘anti-smoking’ Vape Law. This development affirms the sound and real science behind tobacco harm reduction (THR) which countries like the U.K., Japan and New Zealand have accepted and implemented,” said Prof. Ron Christian G. Sison, lead convenor of HARAP.

Vaping activists have praised the Philippines for enacting progressive e-cigarette legislation.

On July 25, legislation took effect that lowers the purchase age for e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products, removes a two-flavor limit on e-liquids and allows vaping sponsorships beyond industry associations and trade events.

“Enacting some of the most progressive vaping legislation in Asia-Pacific now makes the Philippines an international leader in effective tobacco harm reduction,” said Nancy Loucas, [...]