CAPHRA Applauds the Philippines

However, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) says, instead of stopping online sales there is an opportunity “for greater enforcement of existing laws to prevent youth access to vaping products and ensure the appropriate collection of taxes.”

CAPHRA says that the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry recently suspended the online sale of vape products, justifying the action by saying it held concerns about youth access and tax evasion.

Clarisse Virgino, a leading tobacco harm reduction expert from the Philippines and member of CAPHRA, said: “While the intention behind the suspension is commendable, CAPHRA believes that a more effective approach would be to enhance enforcement measures rather than imposing outright bans that could inadvertently drive consumers back to more harmful combustible tobacco products.” 

Nancy Loucas, New Zealand based Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, added: “We commend the Philippine government for its commitment to protecting youth and ensuring the proper regulation of vaping products. However, an outright suspension of online sales is not the solution. Instead, we need robust enforcement of existing laws to prevent youth access and ensure that all importers and retailers comply with tax regulations.

“CAPHRA supports the government's efforts to crack down on illegal sales to minors and urges for increased penalties and surveillance to ensure compliance, under the existing Vape Law, or Republic Act No. 11900.” 

CAPHRA says it is aware that many vape importers and retailers are failing to register for and pay the appropriate taxes, leading to significant revenue losses for the government. 

Clarisse Virgino added: “With appropriate enforcement of internal revenue stamps for vape products by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, these concerns can be overcome. We need to ensure that all vape products in the market are properly taxed and that violators face strict penalties.

“We must strike a balance between protecting our youth and providing adult smokers with access to safer alternatives as banning online sales could limit access to safer nicotine products for adult smokers looking to quit.”

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates says the process should be about encouraging responsible enforcement, adding that it encourages the Philippine government to focus on the following measures to enhance the effectiveness of the Vape Law: 

• Enhanced Surveillance: Increase market surveillance to identify and penalize retailers and importers who fail to comply with tax and youth protection regulations. 
• Stricter Penalties: Implement higher fines and penalties for those caught selling to minors or evading taxes. 
• Public Awareness Campaigns: Educate the public, especially parents and young people, about the risks of vaping and the importance of adhering to regulations. 
• Collaboration with E-commerce Platforms: Work with online platforms to implement robust age verification systems and remove listings of illegal vape products. 

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates says it stands with the Philippine government in its mission to protect public health through sensible and effective regulation of vaping products.  

“By focusing on enforcement rather than prohibition, we can ensure that vaping remains a viable harm reduction tool for adult smokers while safeguarding our youth from potential risks,” Clarisse Virgino concluded.  

References:

• The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates -  https://caphraorg.net/   

Photo Credit:

• Photo by Road Ahead on Unsplash

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.