All Juul Labs kiosks and authorized stores strictly prohibit the sale of Juul devices and pods to individuals below 18 years old.
Nilo Mapa, president of Better For You Corp., Juul Labs’ exclusive distributor in the Philippines, made the assurance amid concern from the Department of Health on possible youth access to e-cigarette products.
“Since Juul Labs was officially launched in the country last June, we have implemented a stringent age verification process, as part of our commitment to prevent youth from gaining access to our products, which have been specifically designed for current adult smokers,” said Mapa.
The Philippines is home to over 16 million adult smokers, which make up 23 percent of the adult population. Roughly 10 Filipinos die every hour due to illnesses stemming from the use of combustible cigarettes, such as lung cancer, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
The smoking epidemic every year translates into roughly P270 billion in healthcare costs and productivity losses, equivalent to 1.9 percent of the country’s gorss domestic product.
The Philippines continues to have one of the highest rates of smoking in Asia, prompting the DOH to refer to continued tobacco dependence as a key development issue that impacts on the well-being, productivity and overall quality of life.
And while tobacco use among Filipino adults has dropped roughly 6 percent from 2009 to 2015, the Global Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that underage smoking has increased among children aged 13 to 15 years old.
All customers are required to present a government-issued ID that bears a prospective buyer’s photo and date of birth, such as the Unified Multipurpose ID, passport and drivers’ license. Individuals who are below the government-mandated age limit or unable to provide an ID will not be allowed to purchase.