The Department of Health (DOH) warned anew the public on Monday, 22 January, against the use of heated tobacco products (HTP) or vape.

In an advisory, the DOH said smoke from vaping is "dangerous to health" and "addicting."

"Ang usok mula sa Heated Tobacco Products (HTP) o vape products na naglalaman ng tobako ay kinikilala pa rin bilang 'tobacco smoke' o usok ng tobako (Smoke from HTP or vape products that contain tobacco is still recognized as 'tobacco smoke')," the Health department said.

"Ang e-cigarettes ay nagdudulot ng pagkalason, pagkapinsala, pagkasunog, o agarang toxicity sa katawan, kasama ang pangingisay, matapos itong langhapin. Itigil ang paggamit ng vape (E-cigarettes cause poisoning, damage, burns, or immediate toxicity to the body, including wheezing, after inhalation. Stop using vape)."

DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa earlier called on authorities to ensure that teenagers do not have access to vapes or e-cigarettes.

According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, there is a 110 percent increase in vape use in just four years, from 11.7 percent in 2015 to 24.6 percent in 2019.

Meanwhile, a recent study conducted by the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Department of Education showed that the age of initiation of using e-cigarettes starts at 10 to 15 years old.

Online accessibility (32%), varied flavors (22%), and the belief that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco (17%) are the top three reasons for the use of vapes among the age group.