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March 29, 2020
Quezon City – More than two months after the Philippines registered its first case of electronic-cigarettes or vaping associated lung injury (EVALI) case — a 16 year old girl from Visayas — the President signed RA 11467, raising legal access to vapes from 18 to 21 years old as well as imposing additional tax on it.
“This is a step closer to saving our children from this new form of harmful nicotine addiction”, says Ana Maria Nemenzo of WomanHealth. “The Department of Health needs to further intensify its information drive on the ill effects of the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to properly warn Filipinos from experimenting on this hazardous products.”
As of January 14, a total of 2,668 hospitalized EVALI cases with 60 EVALI-related deaths confirmed have been reported to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HealthJustice Philippines legal consultant Atty. Benedict Nisperos also welcomes the signing of the law as “another score for public health.”
“This complements the 2019 law imposing graphic health warning on vapes packaging and is consistent to the pronouncement of the President banning vape use in public places”, added Atty. Nisperos.
In November 2019, President Duterte said “I will ban it. The use and importation (of vapes). You know why? Because it is toxic and government has the power to issue measures to protect public health and public interest.”
Download here: HealthJustice Press Release_27January2020
