Crackdown on illicit e-cigarettes clamored

As the sale of cheap and illicit cigarettes is now rampant in various communities, consumer group Rights Action Philippines on Thursday urged the government to crack down against its sale and proliferation, alleging that these products are now becoming more accessible to the youth.

E-cigarettes are a new and emerging product category that includes disposable vapes, vapes, and heated tobacco products.

“The blatant sale of cheap and illegal e-cigarettes online and in vape shops is alarming. They are accessible even to minors. (They) are sold cheaply because they do not pay proper taxes. Moreso, they use young influencers to market their products,” said RAP president Rey Dulay.

Dulay stated that a recent study conducted in the United Kingdom found that from January 2021 to August 2023, the use of disposable e-cigarettes among the adult population grew from 0.1 percent to 4.9 percent.

The study said among those aged 18 to 24, the proportion using disposable vapes is significantly higher at 14.4 percent.

Concerns that disposable vapes are environmental hazards have led the UK government to mull a total ban on disposable vapes, the study further said.

In the Philippines last October 2023, the Bureau of Customs seized in Valenzuela City about 14,000 boxes of 1.4 million illegally imported Flava vape pods, valued at P1.58 billion with a total dutiable value of P728 million, P770 million in excise taxes plus P84 million in VAT.

The said confiscation even became the subject of an investigation by the House Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Albay Representative Joey Salceda.

“That seizure is just the tip of the iceberg, and it is alarming to see the flood of illegal e-cigarettes entering the country. How do these minors get these illegal products? Why doesn’t the government regulate these products strictly?” Dulay questioned.

The Department of Trade and Industry is the government agency charged with implementing and enforcing the provisions of RA No. 11900 or the Vape Law.

Common violations of non-compliant vape establishments are the failure to post the minimum age requirement, the sale of vapor products that are appealing to minors, such as those with fruit, candy, and dessert flavors; and/or packaging that features cartoon characters, and the sale of said products within 100 meters from any school, or other facilities frequented by minors.

“While RAP is a strong advocate of freedom of choice and our right to access products we want to consume, we are also for the strict enforcement of our revenue and regulatory laws, especially if their violations would undermine the health of our youth,” Dulay said.

“Rights Action Philippines is a multi-sectoral organization formed in February 2019 that aims to promote, protect, and fight for the welfare of consumers. As a consumer advocacy organization, we will prioritize gut issues that directly affect the rights of mostly ordinary Filipinos, especially their rights to better education, improved transportation, affordable housing, fuel and cheaper basic goods and services, efficient and corruption-free bureaucracy, and a clean environment,” he added.