The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is intensifying efforts to regulate the vape industry, reminding distributors and sellers to register with the agency and comply with consumer protection standards.
DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said several companies are now accredited, with expectations to have nine to 10 fully-compliant businesses by the end of the year.
“Vape products are being sold out there, and these are chemicals. We need to ensure they meet safety standards and are fit for public consumption,” Roque said.
The registration process is vital to safeguard public health, particularly given the chemical components in vape products, she said.
The DTI has taken a strict stance on vape compliance, treating it with the same rigor as other regulated consumer products such as Christmas lights and fireworks.
“For vape products, we’re quite strict. We want them to register and comply,” Roque said, adding that most vape products are imported but distributed locally by Filipino entrepreneurs.
Recent developments highlight two brands, FLARE and SHFT, which face potential license revocation due to misleading claims on social media.
FLARE falsely asserts full regulatory compliance, while SHFT improperly shared unauthorized images of DTI personnel, the agency said.
The DTI said both actions violate consumer protection laws, including Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, which prohibits deceptive advertisements.
It said both companies contradict Department Administrative Order No. 2 (2007), which bans false or misleading information and the concealment of material facts.
The DTI said brands such as Don Bars, KLIQ, ONE Bar, Phantom Vape, RELX, Tomoro, TRUEZ, Vagend and X-Vape possess valid Philippine Standard (PS) licenses, authorizing their sale in the local market.
