As eight Southeast Asian nations enforce total bans on vape products, Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano renewed their push for the Philippines to follow suit, saying the country should not lag behind its regional neighbors.
Myanmar recently became the eighth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to impose a comprehensive vape ban, joining Brunei, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
The renewed debate comes as public health data show rising vape use among Filipino youth and as the government recorded its first death linked to E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) in 2024.
During her privilege speech in a recent Senate session, Senator Pia cited what she said was an alarming surge in adolescent vaping and strongly rejected claims that vape products are safer alternatives.
“Based on a study of the DOST, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, the prevalence of e-cigarette smoking among adolescents aged 10 to 19 increased to 0.8 percent in 2015. This is less than 1 percent, to 39.3 percent, almost 40 percent in 2023. This is a crazy increase in statistics,” the veteran legislator said.
“The tobacco industry would like us to believe that vapes and all these alternative products are safer for us.”
“The tobacco industry would like us to believe that vapes and all these alternative
products are safer for us. That has been their battle cry. It is not safer, that is the big problem that we have right now,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
The lady senator criticized what she called the weak implementation of existing regulations. She also reiterated that she voted against the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act in the previous Congress.
To address regulatory gaps, Cayetano cited her proposed bill seeking to transfer jurisdiction over vape regulation from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), arguing that the FDA has the proper mandate and technical expertise to regulate such products.
“The government must prioritize public health over industry interests.”
“Mula noong araw na pinasa natin ‘yang vape law na ‘yan, hindi pa rin nagte-test. The vape law gave the DTI the power to test and to regulate. They’re not doing their job,” she said.
For his part, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano stressed the urgency of stronger action, framing the issue as a matter of life and death. Cayetano also reiterated his long-standing position that the government must prioritize public health over industry interests.
“Every single day we delay [banning vape products,] may mga buhay na nalalagay sa panganib,” the veteran legislator said.
As more ASEAN countries move toward total prohibition, the Cayetano siblings said the Philippines has the opportunity to adopt stronger measures to protect the youth and prevent further health risks linked to nicotine products.
