By Alec Go
The Department of Health (DOH) is “strongly” recommending to President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the Vape Bill which lowers the age of access to vaporized nicotine products from 21 to 18 years old.
In a Viber response to reporters on Wednesday, June 8, the DOH reiterated its support on calls to veto the legislation, saying that it puts the “youth at risk to harmful effects” of vapor products.
“The Vape Bill contravenes public health goals and the avowed policy of the Duterte administration to protect the Filipinos especially the youth,” the DOH said.
On Tuesday, Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines called on Duterte to veto the consolidated House Bill 9007 and Senate Bill 2239 on vape products when its ratified version reaches his table.
The network, which pushes for children’s rights and protection, said the bill provides the tobacco industry a “free pass” to reach the youth through the relaxed regulation “on the sale, distribution, use, and promotion of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes, and vaporized nicotine products (VNPs).”
“We implore President Duterte to negate the lobbying of [the] tobacco industry and uphold public health. Listen to your cabinet members, especially DepEd and DOH. Listen to health experts. Listen to child rights advocates,” CRN Convenor Romeo Dongeto urged.
The CRN also called for the transmission of the bill from the Congress to let Duterte “exercise authority even in his last days in power.”
Dongeto said its passage would “undermine” Duterte’s “legacy of fighting against dangerous drugs, illegal substances, and smoking” and would allow dangerous substances to “easily reach the Filipino population.”
Last March, the Department of Education joined the DOH against the “anti-health” bill’s approval which it said would “weaken existing law and the executive order” against ENDS.
“This is of great concern for us in DepEd,” it said, citing a study by the Philippine Pediatric Society which showed that top reasons for vape use among Grades 7-9 learners were online accessibility, vape flavors, and the belief that they are safer than tobacco.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ENDS or e-cigarettes including those that claim otherwise, still contain nicotine, harmful emissions, and toxic substances.
“The consumption of nicotine in children and adolescents has deleterious impacts on brain development, leading to long-term consequences for brain development and potentially leading to learning and anxiety disorders,” the WHO stated in its website.
“Nicotine is highly addictive and some evidence suggest that never-smoker minors who use ENDS can double their chance of starting to smoke tobacco cigarettes later in life,” it added. – gb
