Several senators are calling for a complete prohibition of vape products, echoing the Department of Health’s (DOH) position that regulation alone is insufficient to curb the growing public health risks.
Sen. Pia Cayetano noted that eight Southeast Asian countries — Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Timor‑Leste, Vietnam, and Myanmar — have already implemented total bans.
“There are sound reasons for this shift, especially because evidence shows that our kids are getting addicted to these products,” she said.
Cayetano cited alarming data from the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), which found that e‑cigarette use among Filipino adolescents surged to 39.9% in 2023, up from just 0.08% in 2015.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also voiced support for a ban during a Senate hearing on May 6, stressing that vape products have created new public health challenges since the passage of Republic Act No. 11900, the “Vaporized Nicotine and Non‑Nicotine Products Regulation Act,” in 2022.
She pointed out that despite safeguards, children as young as 13 are already using vapes, easily accessing them online without proper age verification.
“Clearly, this is not just an implementation gap. This is a disconnect between policy design and lived reality,” Hontiveros said.
DOH Health Promotion Bureau OIC‑Director III Dr. Dominic Maddumba reinforced the senators’ concerns, revealing that his team was able to purchase vapes online using a fake account with self‑declared age verification.
“Even though there are regulations and restrictions on online sales, enforcement cannot keep up. The most logical solution is a total ban,” he stressed.
