Law adopts global tobacco treaty’s pillar

Law adopts global tobacco treaty’s pillar | Daily Tribune

The Philippines is leading the advancement in addressing the smoking epidemic with the passage of the Vape Law, recognizing the tobacco harm reduction approach as among the identified pillars of the World Health Organization’s global tobacco control treaty, while the health organization remains inflexible with its restrictive stance.

Through passing the Vape Law, Congress has shown its support for science-based public health policy.

Dr. Lorenzo Mata, president of Quit For Good, a non-profit organization promoting harm reduction to mitigate the damage caused by cigarettes, emphasized the importance of aligning the Philippines’ WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or WHO FCTC stance with the Vape Law, given the growing global acceptance and promotion of tobacco harm reduction.

Local and international public health experts point to mounting scientific evidence that novel tobacco products, such as heated tobacco, oral nicotine, and vape products, are significantly less harmful than smoking. Countries like the UK, New Zealand, and Japan have already embraced these products as proven tools to reduce the harm of smoking.

Senate leader backs option

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, during his sponsorship of the Vape Bill, highlighted the importance of providing Filipino smokers with alternatives to combustible cigarettes. “We’re trying to look for alternatives for them. There is an alternative. Until they finally get off these gadgets, let’s give them an alternative to a better life,” he said.

Professor David Sweanor, chair of the advisory board of the Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa, sees the passage of the Vape Law in the Philippines as potentially unleashing a public health revolution.

Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a Greek cardiologist and a leading researcher on tobacco harm reduction, commended the Philippines for making “such an achievement in such a difficult region.”

Dr. Alexander Wodak, the former director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia, noted that other Asian countries were moving in a similar direction, though not as advanced as the Philippines. He expressed hope that the Philippines’ development would accelerate the move to tobacco harm reduction throughout the region.

Roberto Sussman, an associate professor at the National University of Mexico or UNAM, described the enactment of the Vape Law in the Philippines as “a groundbreaking event that will influence countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa.”

Harm reduction is one of the three pillars of the WHO FCTC, recognizing it as a public health strategy alongside demand and supply reduction.

Less harmful option

Dr. Mata explained that the Philippines passed Republic Act 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Act of 2022 to regulate smoke-free alternatives considered far less harmful than traditional cigarettes. “The Vape Law reflects the government’s position that innovative smoke-free products, proven by scientific research to be far less harmful than traditional cigarettes, should be regulated as options for smokers who wouldn’t quit otherwise,” Dr. Mata said.

He cited examples of countries like the United Kingdom, Japan and Sweden which have substantially reduced their smoking rates by allowing smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and oral nicotine. He highlighted annual reviews by the UK’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities demonstrating the reduced risks associated with novel tobacco products compared to smoking.

Dr. Mata joined other public health experts in calling for the WHO FCTC to incorporate THR principles, allowing smokers access to safer alternatives. He also criticized the WHO for failing to respect Article 1(d) of the FCTC preamble, which explicitly mentions “harm reduction strategies” as a crucial pillar of tobacco control.