The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is finalizing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to effectively limit student access to vape products.
It will ensure zero access to vape products by minors, particularly by prohibiting vaping, selling and advertising of vapes in areas frequented by minors like schools, playgrounds and similar locations.
The DTI and DepEd are working together to address the worrying increase in vaping among Filipino youth. The collaboration involves an education campaign to be led by the DepEd about the dangers of vaping, while the DTI is focused on the illegal sale of these products near schools.
The DTI said it is also teaming up with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to combat the disturbing trend of marijuana-laced vape products.
Its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau will be tasked to identify and apprehend sellers of these illegal substances.
The DTI said it is also strengthening its partnership with the DILG and local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region to improve enforcement efforts.
Local enforcement teams will conduct joint vape enforcement operations, followed by efforts to establish a centralized and comprehensive LGU registry of licensed vape shops.
The DTI said to ensure a more effective nationwide enforcement strategy, the agency and the DILG are developing a unified enforcement protocol. The standardized approach will cover monitoring violators, sharing intelligence and coordinating enforcement activities among enforcement forces.
