Groups supporting the more than a million vapers and nicotine consumers in the Philippines gathered Friday to show their solidarity and strong support for a comprehensive vape regulation that will regulate smoke-free products, protect the youth and provide adult smokers with better alternatives.
The Philippine E-cigarette Industry Association (PECIA), Consumer Choice Philippines (CCP), Quit for Good, Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), Vapers PH, Vaper Ako, Pro Vape, Philippine Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates Inc., and the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA),voiced their support for the Vape Bill, which was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives early this year.
The groups cited the need for a comprehensive law that will govern the sale, manufacture, importation, and communication of smoke-free alternatives including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and other novel tobacco products.
Once enacted into law, the Vape Bill can help the 16 million Filipino adult smokers to kick the deadly smoking habit for good, said Dr. Lorenzo Mata, a renowned doctor, and president of anti-smoking advocacy group Quit for Good, adding that it is the smoke and not nicotine that kills and cause disease.
“We share the same goal with the rest of the health sector to end the smoking problem in the country. The current conventional cessation approaches, however, falls short of producing significant results. That’s why we are advocating pragmatic ways to help adult smokers leave smoking behind,” said Dr. Mata.
Dr. Mata said tobacco harm reduction was proven by progressive countries like the United Kingdom as an effective approach to bring down smoking prevalence.
Public Health England, an executive agency of UK’s Department of Health and Social Care, confirmed that vaping is 95-percent less harmful than cigarettes. Meanwhile, a local study led by well-respected Filipino cardiologist Dr. Rafael Castillo concluded that heated tobacco products are less harmful than traditional smoking.
“Contrary to conventional knowledge, nicotine is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases and death. Science has proven time and time again that combustion—in the case of cigarettes, burning tobacco—is what produces the thousands of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals. There is no dearth of science that backs this fact, though some people chose to ignore it,” Dr. Mata said.
Meanwhile, Joey Dulay, president of PECIA, lauded the lawmakers who voted in favor of the Vape Bill.
