“Public health must never take a backseat to industry profits.”
Senator Pia Cayetano made this statement as she joined fellow health advocates in strongly opposing the lowering of excise taxes on tobacco and vapor products.
Cayetano’s remarks came in reaction to House Bill No. 11360 that seeks to amend existing Sin Tax laws by reducing the annual excise tax increases on traditional tobacco, vapes, and heated tobacco products (HTPs).
A longtime health and tobacco control advocate, the veteran legislator firmly opposed the said measure, stressing that sin taxes are designed to protect public health by discouraging the consumption of harmful and addictive products, especially among the youth.
The former chair of the Ways and Means Committee sponsored the Sin Tax Reform Act of 2020 that raised excise taxes on vapes and HTPs and included protective provisions to safeguard the youth from these novel sin products.
However, barely a year after the law was enacted, the Vape Law overturned these protective measures, resulting in what is now known as the “vapedemic”.
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s 2023 National Nutrition Survey showed a sharp rise in the prevalence of vaping among adolescents – from 3.2% in 2018-2019 to 39.9% in 2023.
The lady senator also highlighted the enormous burden of tobacco-related illnesses, which cost the country hundreds of billions of pesos annually.
“We must not allow history to repeat itself.”
“We should not repeat the mistakes of the Vape Law, which stripped away critical regulatory protections established under the Sin Tax Reform Act. We must not allow history to repeat itself,” she stressed.
“Reducing taxes clearly does not address the health costs of these sin products, but even adds to them. It also undermines the government’s ability to fund essential health services, including the Universal Health Care program, which heavily relies on sin tax revenues,” Cayetano added.
Meanwhile, she welcomed Ways and Means Chair Senator Win Gatchalian’s statement that the answer to illicit trade is not lowering sin taxes.
“The goal of our Sin Tax laws has always been clear – to discourage the use of harmful products and protect the health of every Filipino.”
“The goal of our Sin Tax laws has always been clear – to discourage the use of harmful products and protect the health of every Filipino,” Cayetano said.
“We must stay the course and craft policies that will truly prioritize the safety, well-being, and future of every Filipino, especially the youth,” she concluded.
