By Gabriela Baron
Child rights advocates on Tuesday, July 26, decried the law lowering vape access from 21 years old to 18 years old after the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, also known as Vape Bill, lapsed into law during the term of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Child rights advocates all over the Philippines today call out the tobacco industry and its allies for succeeding in its insidious plan to have the dangerous Vape Bill lapse into law, without the benefit of executive review,” Child Rights Network (CRN) Convenor Romeo Dongeto said.
CRN was among those who lobbied against the passage of the law, repeatedly urging former President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the Vape Bill, citing the harmful effects of vapes and e-cigarettes to the youth.
The group called the law a “toxic legislation masquerading as a trade regulation law” as it relaxes regulations on the sale, distribution, use, and promotion of e-cigarettes and vapes.
“Despite the tobacco industry’s reasoning that the Vape Law will strengthen regulations to discourage minors from using cigarette alternatives, the new law essentially lowered the minimum age of access to e-cigarettes from age 21 to 18, setting aside the proposal of several health experts to maintain 21 years old, which is the existing age restriction based on Republic Act 11467,” Dongeto explained.
Dongeto feared that the restrictions on flavor descriptors for e-cigarettes and vapes set in the new law would attract use among the younger generation and would even allow the online sale of e-cigarettes and vapes.
“We cannot lose hope. We urge the 19th Congress to get to work and scrap this newly passed law. Listen to the voice of reason. Remember that no less than the Department of Health and the Department of Education joined advocates in exposing the dangers of this law,” he added.
“We call on our legislators and our president to act in haste, while there is still time, and ensure that this toxic law will not be able to bare its fangs and harm generations of Filipino children and youth.”
The Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Education, and multiple medical associations have also previously pushed against the passage of the bill. –ag
