Health expert warns of ‘vapedemic’

Health expert warns of ‘vapedemic’ | Daily Tribune

Vape use in the country is now an epidemic, according to former Department of Health adviser and health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon.

The vape epidemic or “vapedemic” is the wide distribution of heated tobacco products or e-cigarettes, according to Leachon.

“Para siyang (It’s like an) epidemic and based on the World Health Organization, 88 countries na ang (have) open regulations (when it comes to vaping), widely distributed [ang vapes], particularly among the younger populations,” Leachon told the DAILY TRIBUNE.

“Now since vape is the step-down therapy as they propose, by the marketers, and harm reduction, the other messaging, and because of the alluring marketing message, nagkaroon siya ng parang (it becomes like) epidemic proportion,” he added.

He also noted the increasing regulations on smoking, citing a strict law in Singapore that prohibits smoking within a building or public service vehicles, also contributes to the rise of vape usage.

“Ngayon (Now) when you have a gadget when you smoke, it can be subtly or even openly, even internal areas or indoors, nakakapag-vape ka (You can vape). That’s number one. Number two, it’s all over the place... Sa malls nandun siya (it’s there) openly, dun sa (in the) streets nandun (it’s there), sa bangketa, online nakukuha mo siya (in the street side, online, it’s all there),” Leachon said.

Citing the WHO, Leachon said there are currently 16,000 available vape flavors worldwide.

Based on the data by the Department of Health, Leachon said there are about 12 to 15 percent of children and young adolescents who smoke e-cigarettes or vapes.

Meanwhile, 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.

A recent study by the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Department of Education found that the age of initiation of using e-cigarettes starts at 10 to 15 years old.

Looser regulations

Leachon lamented that looser regulations on e-cigarettes and vapes made them more appealing to the youth.

“Tinanggal ang (They removed) comprehensive bans on vapes and heated tobacco in public places and then it allows advertising, bawal ang advertising sa tobacco (advertising of tobacco was not allowed before), now they allow and then ito ang pinaka-dager, nilipat ng law natin ang regulation from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industryso it’s more business or economic side (and then it is the most dagger, our law moved the regulation from the FDA to the DTI),” Leachon said.

“Nag-create ng (They created a) law not to restrict it, but to facilitate it,” he added.

Under the law, the DTI has exclusive jurisdiction over any issues, requirements, and subject matters related to vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products.

Only properly registered vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products with the applicable graphic health warnings are allowed to be sold, advertised, or distributed through whatever means.

Harms of vaping

“It’s very harmful kasi (because) it contains nicotine pa rin,” he added noting that a 20 milligram per milliliter vape is equivalent to smoking of at least 48 cigarettes.

Citing a study conducted at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, the health expert said cigarette smoking showed evidence of aging and heart disease of the arteries, but e-cigarettes were even more prone to cause cardiovascular diseases lead or plaques to heart attacks and severe cardiovascular problems.