Smoking in Philippines
In the Philippines, tobacco smoking remains a significant public health concern. As of 2024, the current prevalence of smoking among adults aged 15 years and older was estimated to be 19.7%, with a notable gender disparity. The current prevalence of smoking was 35.6% among males and 4.2% among females. The total number of smokers was reported to be approximately 16.3 million individuals in 2024. Comparing these figures to earlier data from 2021, the smoking prevalence among males was 33.3%, while among females it was 3.7%. The adult daily smoking prevalence in 2021 was 14.5%, with a prevalence of 26.3% among males and 2.6% among females. Furthermore, smoking-related mortalities remain a critical public health issue. In 2021, 88,169 deaths were attributed to smoking, accounting for 10% of all deaths in the country in that year. The gender-specific data indicate that smoking-related deaths comprised 13.34% of all male deaths and 5.26% of all female deaths in 2021. These statistics underscore the urgent need for effective public health interventions to address the high smoking rates and associated health consequences in the Philippines.
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January 24, 2022 by abs-cbn.com
Medical experts ask Duterte to veto 'pro-industry' vape bill
MANILA — Doctors from various fields on Monday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to veto a controversial bill that they claim would ultimately "deregulate" the sale and consumption of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products or vapes. In a press conference organized by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), at least 5 doctors representing their medical societies voiced their opposition to the proposed Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Regulation Act, recently approved by the bicameral conference committee.
January 17, 2022 by manilatimes.net
Groups urge Duterte to veto vape bills
Sixty civil society organizations under the Sin Tax Coalition sent a petition to President Rodrigo Duterte asking him to veto the bills legalizing the sale of electronic vaporizers or vapes and heated tobacco products.
Senate Bill 2239 and House Bill 9007 mandate the lowering of the age limit of access to e-cigarettes and vapes from 21 to 18 years old, the transfer of its regulatory jurisdiction from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industry, and the manufacturing of multiple flavorings for vape products.
January 05, 2022 by manilatimes.net
Sign vape bill, various groups urge Duterte
SEVERAL consumer and harm reduction advocacy groups urged President Rodrigo Duterte to sign a proposed legislation that aims to help at least 16 million Filipinos quit smoking and provide them less harmful alternatives. [...] "In passing the Vape Bill, the lives of 16 million Filipino smokers will be saved because legitimate alternative products will be allowed to be sold to smokers who want to stop smoking. The Vape Bill will also put an end to the sale of unregulated and illegal products that do not pay excise taxes to the government," the groups said in their letter to Duterte.
December 21, 2021 by manilatimes.net
DoH joins groups opposing vaping bill
THE Department of Health (DoH) has joined other health and civil society groups in condemning the passage of Senate Bill 2239 that allows expanded access to vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products or e-cigarettes.
The Senate passed the bill on third and final reading on December 16, and it is now being merged with House Bill 9007 at the Bicameral Conference Committee.
In a statement, the DoH said the approval of the SB 2239 will put the Filipino youth at risk, noting that the prevalence of the use of e-cigarettes have increased among the youth.
November 21, 2021 by manilatimes.net
Govt plumps for tobacco tax money over public health
BETWEEN tobacco tax and public health, the government's choice is clear — money.
Taxes from tobacco fund public health programs anyway.
This was essentially the message that the Philippine delegation to the recently concluded ninth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) [...] "Taxes of a vice are called salutary. They fund useful and beneficial purposes," read the delegation's statement, delivered by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., at the opening of the six-day virtual conference on November 8.
Because of this, health experts have declared that "public health is under attack by the tobacco industry and its proxies," [...]
November 10, 2021 by inquirer.net
DOH distances from PH delegation’s ‘pro-tobacco statements’ in WHO conference
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday disassociated itself from and opposed the “pro-tobacco industry statements” made by the Philippine delegation in an ongoing global conference on tobacco control in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to DOH, the Philippine delegation made statements that promoted the interest of tobacco industries, including those of vapor products and heated tobacco products, and described them as “salutary” and “source of good” during the ongoing the 9th Conference of Parties (COP9) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
October 04, 2021 by manilatimes.net
Senate bill on vaping deceptively portrayed
SENATE Bill (SB) 2239 is described in virtuous ways, hinting that it would introduce regulation protecting the youth and curbing cigarette addiction. But that portrayal is a ruse because the bill actually proposes to relax regulations on vaping, e-cigarettes and similar products. We urge senators to vote against the measure, which is also known as the "Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act."
Earlier this year, the House passed a counterpart legislation, House Bill 9007, or the "Non-Combustible Nicotine Delivery Systems Regulation Act." [...]
September 17, 2021 by manilatimes.net
Stricter regulation of vapes pushed
SEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go stressed the need for stronger regulatory oversight of consumer goods, such as vapes and electronic cigarettes, that emit "toxic substances" to protect the public's health.
He urged the Senate to carefully consider the potential impacts of e-cigarettes on people's health so evidence-based policies and programs can be developed during deliberations on Senate Bill 1951, which seeks to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use, advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
September 16, 2021 by businessmirror.com.ph
Health advocate calls for stricter implementation of EO vs smoking
Exposure to passive smoke has had a harmful effect on the health of many people, hence the need to reinforce Executive Order 26 titled “Providing for the Establishment of Smoke-Free Environments in Public and Enclosed Places.”
Former Health Secretary Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan, a trustee of HealthJustice Philippines, said EO 26, which was further expanded to include e-cigarettes in EO 106, will help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in certain public places which have been dubbed by Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) officials as “hot spots” of transmission.
September 09, 2021 by vapingpost.com
Philippine Dental Group Discusses Safer Nicotine Alternatives
The Philippine College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (PCOMS), one of the biggest groups of dental professionals in the country, said that it respects the stance of tobacco harm reduction advocates who are urging smokers to switch from smoking to using non-combustible alternatives. “We are convincing our patients to stop smoking. But if our patients cannot quit, we advise them to at least consider shifting to a non-combustible nicotine delivery system, rather than continue smoking cigarettes and see our patients die of oral cancer,” said Dr. Fernando Fernandez, [...]