Child rights and public health advocates are sounding the alarm on House Bill 9866 or the Vape Manufacturing Bill filed by Rep. Joey Salceda of the 2nd District of Albay–the bill legitimizing the Philippines as a ‘vape hub’ and incentivizing the manufacturing of vapes and other electronic nicotine products.
“Data shows that 1 in 7 Filipino children aged 13 to 15 are already vape or e-cigarette users. It is irresponsible to reward and promote e-cigarette manufacturing amidst a youth ‘vapedemic’ and a country already burdened by billions of pesos in health-related costs due to nicotine addiction and the rampant use of tobacco products,” said Mr. Rom Dongeto, Child Rights Network Convenor and Executive Director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development.
According to a World Health Organization study, the Philippines loses around 270 billion pesos in economic costs due to smoking, with more than 20 billion attributed to health-related expenses.
For advocates, the bill is not just economically irresponsible, it is the latest assault on children’s rights and public health following the passage of the Vape Law–a product of underhanded tactics by the tobacco industry to weaken regulations–and the inclusion of tobacco and e-cigarettes in the recently passed Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.
“There are no winners here except for an industry exploiting children and young people as replacement smokers through manipulative marketing tactics and the increased legitimization of harmful products,” said Mr. Dongeto.
“HB 9866 or the Vape Manufacturing Bill is retrogressive, as it reinforces the flawed argument that vapes are “alternatives” to smoking—they are not. They are as dangerous, if not more dangerous,” said Ms. Rizza Duro, National Coordinator of the Philippine Smoke-Free Movement.
“After the passage of the pro-industry Vape Law, the tobacco industry has exploited loopholes to increase the marketability of these products to children and young people through flavors, celebrity endorsements, and online marketing. This is especially alarming in light of new research that shows more significant lung damage linked to flavored vape products compared to non-flavored ones,” Ms. Duro added.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and their US-based researchers released a study in October 2024 showing that flavored vapes, particularly berry-flavored varieties, contain chemicals that cause more significant lung damage than those without flavors.
The PNAS findings add to mounting evidence of the dangers associated with vapes and e-cigarettes. Early this year, the Philippines recorded its first EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) death.#
