Philippines: Momentum Building for Disposables Ban

Momentum is building in the Philippines for a proposal by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto to ban disposable e-cigarettes, reports The Philippine Star.

The Department of Health has indicated support for the proposal, just like some senators, but the Department of Trade and Industry, which enforces the country’s vape law, has yet to take a stand.

Eric Singson, mayor of Candon in the tobacco-producing Ilocos Sur province in Northern Luzon, said he was open to the idea. “If it is really hazardous to a person’s health, then it’s OK with me, we will subscribe to regulation, just like the Tobacco Regulation Act,” he said.

Both the Department of Agriculture and National Tobacco Administration have yet to communicate their respective positions.

Several countries in Europe including the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium have announced disposable vape bans.

“If that is the trend, then maybe there is a very good reason for banning it. If it’s something of a health concern to the users, especially the minors, then I’m open to it,” Singson told The Philippine Star in an interview in.

In Asia, disposable vapes are already banned in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.

Recto proposed the ban in response to the rise in youth vaping and the impact of disposable products on the environment, with illicit e-cigarettes further eroding tax revenues.