Spotlight

The Philippine vape bill: how politics affects health

Vapes or e-cigarettes are marketed as less harmful as a pre-defined category, making them accessible for Published Online
alternatives to tobacco cigarettes, making them popular young people through online purchasing. The market in August 10, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1016/
as smoking cessation aids. However, as of February, 2020, Hong Kong and Vietnam is also active due to legislative S2213-2600(22)00292-2
over 2000 cases of vaping-associated lung injury in the decisions being delayed. This delay also happened with We declare no competing
USA have been recorded, mostly among individuals the 2003 Tobacco Regulation Act, the first tobacco control interests. ECD is funded in part
18–24 years old. We present perspectives on vaping from law in the Philippines; however, unfortunately the vape through the Cancer Center
Support Grant from the National
the Philippines. bill has not been subjected to these same delays, being Cancer Institute (P30 CA008748).
Worldwide, most smokers start smoking tobacco rushed through by most policymakers. The US Food and College of Medicine, University
before the age of 18 years. Prevention of smoking in Drug Administration (FDA) banned the marketing of JUUL of the Philippines Manila,
young people is crucial in overall tobacco control. In the e-cigarettes due to unmet standards. The US FDA focuses 1000 Metro Manila, Philippines
(JGNS, RGS); Department of
Philippines, a considerable proportion of 13–15-year- on tobacco control for public health, unlike the Philippines Health, Doctors to the Barrios,
olds use tobacco (12·5%) and e-cigarettes (14·1%). Department of Trade Industry, who have been proposed Rural Health Unit of Gigaquit,
Health expenditure on smoking-related illness costs to hold regulatory power of e-cigarette under the vape Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte
(CES); Department of Radiation
more than PhP 188 billion ($US 4 billion) each year. bill, whose mandate includes economic development
Oncology, Memorial Sloan
Of 3292 adolescents aged 13–15 years who died in The from businesses. In addition, the Philippine FDA (under Kettering Cancer Center,
Philippines, 270 (8·2%) died from cancer, 244 (7·4%) the Department of Health) is a known advocate for 1275 York Avenue, New York,
from heart disease, and 35 (1·1%) from chronic pulmonary increasing the age of prohibition of e-cigarettes from 21 to NY, USA (ECD)
jnsolidum3@up.edu.ph
diseases, all of which contribute to lost productivity and 25 years old. The Philippine FDA maintaining control over
For more on vaping-associated
further hidden costs of smoking. e-cigarettes would therefore be disadvantageous for the lung injury in the USA see
The Philippines has been trying to control tobacco tobacco industry. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
and e-cigarette use through regulations imposed on Politics clearly dictates health priorities in The Philippines basic_information/e-cigarettes/
severe-lung-disease.html
marketing, sales, and use, and by joining the WHO and elsewhere. It should be acknowledged that issues
For more on tobacco use in
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control treaty. surrounding health are political. People working in the southeast Asia see https://sph.
However, implementation of these regulations appears public health sector should further lobby against pro- nus.edu.sg/wp-content/
to be inadequate, with 37·1% of underage smokers industry policies. Strong regulations must be enforced, uploads/2021/03/Tightening-E-
Cigarette-Regulations-in-
being able to purchase tobacco or e-cigarettes freely, for and pro-industry legislation must be stopped, to halt Southeast-Asia.pdf
example. Additionally, passing the Vaporised Nicotine the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, especially among For more on the costs of
Products Regulation Act (or vape bill) is currently being young people. The oppositions of industry allies must smoking see https://doh.gov.
rushed through government. It is a regressive legislation strengthen their stand and make their voices heard during ph/sites/default/files/
publications/FINAL_2019GYTS_
that lowers the age of access to tobacco and e-cigarettes political sessions. Most importantly, politicians should put PHL_CountryReport_03012022.
from 21 to 18 years, transfers regulatory power from a premium on public health over economic gains and ties pdf
government health agencies to trade industry agencies, with the tobacco industry. For more on the vape bill see
and reduces the restrictions on tobacco company https://blogs.bmj.com/
tc/2021/12/17/philippine-
marketing. The bill is already in the last step of its *Jea Giezl N Solidum, Roselyn G Solomon, Clyde E Silverio,
congress-set-to-reverse-
approval thanks to the lobbying of politicians who are Edward Christopher Dee protective-tobacco-control-
industry allies. This bill exemplifies how politics and measures-via-retrogressive-
politicians’ vested interests can affect population health. vape-bill

Neighboring Association of Southeast Asian Nations, For more on e-cig regulations in

southeast Asia see Glob Health J
namely Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore, recently 2017; 1: 1–10
banned the import, sale, and use of e-cigarettes, while For more on the FDA and JUUL
Brunei banned the import and sale of e-cigarettes, which see https://www.fda.gov/news-
they consider as tobacco product imitations. In Laos, events/press-announcements/
fda-denies-authorization-
e-cigarettes are considered tobacco products subject to market-juul-products
existing tobacco control laws. These countries established
their legislations early before the local demand for
Oscar Burriel/Science Photo Library

e-cigarettes increased, easily pre-empting any attempts

from the tobacco industry to employ tactics to increase
use and distribution of these products and become deeply
rooted into the country’s market. This is contrary to
Taiwan where policies did not explicitly ban e-cigarettes

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