MANILA, Philippines — Several groups are now calling on the national government to pass laws to regulate the use and selling of tobacco and smoking products since younger Filipinos have gained access to it.
At a Pandesal Forum Monday, the advocacy group Philippine Smoke-Free Movement, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, and the Baguio City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit raised the alarm about the rising usage and selling of cigarettes and vapes among students below 18.
“Tayo po ay nananawagan sa influencers and content creators na huwag basta-basta mag-promote ng vape dahil marami pong kabataan nanonood at naniniwala sa inyo,” PSFM Youth Member Bea Lareza said.
According to Lareza, influencers, and content creators play a massive decisive role” in why youths have been using or are influenced to use cigarettes and electronic smoking products.
Contrary to reports, vaping is not an alternative to cigarettes as it still has health implications as cigarettes.
The Department of Health reported in May that a 22-year-old Filipino died of a heart attack after suffering a severe lung injury, which is attributed to his daily use of vape products over the past two years.
This is the first vape-related death reported in the country.
The group also urged the Department of Education to integrate tobacco-control education in the curriculum to “prevent new tobacco initiation” and prevent the students from accessing smoking products.
A 2019 survey from Global Action to End Smoking revealed that 12.5 percent of Filipino youths aged between 13 to 15 years old were current tobacco product users in the Philippines.
In the same year, vape or e-cigarette usage among this age group was higher at 14.1 percent, a separate report from the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey showed.
It added that data from the 2019 National Nutrition Survey shows that 44 percent of vapers are nonsmokers.
“Please act in urgency on the bills that protect children against [their exposure] to tobacco, una na po yung smoke-free environment bill, pagpapalawig ng ban on smoking in public places, review and amend Vape Law,” PLCPD Au Quilala said.
Under the Vape Law, Online sales are allowed, provided that measures are in place to prevent access by individuals under 18. Websites must display age restriction signage and require users to declare their age on the homepage. But minors still access these pages and buy electronic cigarettes.
The group stated that although sellers are prohibited from selling e-cigarettes, the current 100-meter restriction from schools is insufficient and should be increased to at least 600 meters.
The Department of Trade and Industry in July suspended the online sale of vapor products, vapor product devices, and vapor product systems on marketplaces, “effective immediately” to protect the youth and public health but as of writing, several online stores are still selling vapes online and only revised vapes into several keywords like “lanyards,” “e-liquid,” and “tumbler” among others.
