By Gabriela Baron
Advocates from the Child Rights Network (CRN) and the Parents Against Vape (PAV) called on the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to address the vape epidemic among the youth.
In a joint statement, CRN and PAV said the vape epidemic among the children and the youth is “alarming” and urged the government education agencies to “take a more active role” in implementing the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act or RA 11900 and strengthen the recent administrative order issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“Although the Trade and Industry Department issued an administrative order to implement the law, we firmly believe that the education agencies are in a more strategic position to address the vape epidemic among our youth,” CRN Convenor Romeo Dongeto said.
Citing the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, CRN said 14.1% of students, 20.9% of boys, and 7.5% of girls aged 13 to 15 in the country currently use electronic cigarettes.
This translates to one in every student–or one if every five boys and almost one in every 10 girls–use electronic cigarettes.
Dongeto noted that the study is “alarming and deeply concerning.”
“It is unacceptable that the vape industry is preying on young Filipinos with their marketing tactics, perpetuating nicotine addiction and putting their health at risk,” Dongeto stressed.
“We must take immediate action to protect our children’s right to health and an environment free from tobacco and nicotine. We call on the DepEd and CHED to prioritize the implementation of the vape regulation law and strengthen efforts to combat the vape epidemic among our youth,” he added.
CRN and PAV urged DepEd and CHED to “concrete pathways” to ensure that RA 11900 is properly implemented, including: activation of DepEd’s Child Protection Unit and Child Rights in Education Desk to strengthen advocacy efforts against vapes and e-cigarettes; release implementation-ready guidelines to ensure that the sale of vapes and e-cigarettes is not conducted within a 200-meter radius of schools; and release new department orders that will operationalize and complement “restrictions on product communication, advertisements, and sponsorships” of vape products.
The advocates also called on DTI to strictly implement RA 119000, including banning youthful marketing strategies and restricting flavors of e-cigarettes and vapes to conventional tobacco and menthol.
“At this juncture, we must also not let DTI go unquestioned. As the lead implementing agency of RA 11900, the law emphasizes DTI’s monitoring powers to ensure strict enforcement of the law to protect children from the marketing tactics of the tobacco and vape industry,” PAV President Imelda Esposado-Gocotano said.
“DTI must not–even for a day–waver on its commitment to monitoring the sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) that violate the restrictions on flavor descriptors and marketing strategies that directly cater to the youth and children. We laud DTI’s initial efforts, but this should continue in the years to come,” Gocotano added.
