President Rodrigo Duterte has banned the use of vape in public places. “Now, itong vaping, sabi nila is electronic. Don’t get it a *. Better stop it because . . . I will order your arrest if you do it in a room. I am now ordering the law enforcement agencies to arrest anybody vaping in public. That is like smoking. You cannot do it inside a room. That’s full of *. You contaminate people na hindi pa panahong mamatay” (Now, vaping, they said is electronic. Don’t get it a *. Better stop it because . . . I will order your arrest if you do it in a room. I am now ordering the law enforcement agencies to arrest anybody vaping in public. That is like smoking. You cannot do it inside a room. That’s full of . . . . You contaminate people whom are not yet due to die), explains the Chief Executive. He adds that the object is deleterious to health. Moreover, he notes that the vape did not pass the Food and Drug Administration’s criteria.
Prior to the directive, the Department of Health (DOH) had submitted a resolution seeking to regulate the users of E-cigarettes. This was, however, held in abeyance due to a temporary injunction. Said resolution features the prohibition on selling vape paraphernalia to minors, advertisement of said objects, and limitation of the flavors believed to contain nicotine.
The health department welcomes the Head of State’s move. “We are very happy with that na kung saan bawal manigarilyo, gusto natin bawal ding mag-vape. Dahil tayo, na hindi naninigarilyo, hindi nag-ve-vape, may karapata tayong huminga ng malinis na hangin” (We are very happy with that in which places where smoking is proscribed, we also want them also to be prohibiting vaping. Because we, who do not smoke and vape, have the right to breathe clean air), lauds DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has instructed all police units and to regulate users of the cigar. Moreover, it already implemented the no-vape-zone policy in all PNP camps and offices.
Recently, an adolescent in Visayas incurred a lung injury brought about by the E-cigarette.
To date, only the President’s signature in the relevant executive order is lacking to carry out the ban.
