Public health advocates and child protection groups have called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to strictly enforce anti-smoking and anti-vaping policies — especially the smoking and vaping ban in and around school premises — ahead of the 2025 academic year and in observance of No Smoking Month this June.

HealthJustice, together with its allies — the Philippine Pediatric Society (PDS) and Child Rights Network (CRN) — highlighted that tobacco and vape use contribute to over 112,000 deaths annually in the Philippines, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease study.

“As students return to school, we call on the Department of Education to enforce strict safeguards to protect minors against tobacco and vape use and advertising near school zones,” Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, board member of HealthJustice Philippines and former Health secretary, said.

“We cannot let our children be exposed to tobacco and vape products that increase their risk of nicotine dependence and its associated noncommunicable diseases,” Galvez Tan stressed.

The groups also raised alarm over the growing prevalence of cigarette and vape use among the youth, citing data from the 2023 Food and Nutrition Research Institute National Nutrition Survey showing that 4.8 percent of Filipinos aged 10 to 19 are cigarette smokers. Additionally, the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that one in every seven Filipino students aged 13 to 15 is using e-cigarettes or vapes.

As children spend most of their time in school where peer influence and social environment strongly shape their habits, firm government and school policies against tobacco and vaping would help reinforce the message to the younger population that “the use of these products is harmful and should not be normalized,” according to Dr. Riz Gonzalez, chairperson of the Tobacco Control Advocacy Group of PDS.

“We also call on parents and guardians to remain vigilant against tobacco and vape use among their children, since it can often be overlooked. We encourage them to provide nutritious meals and to motivate their children to engage in worthwhile sports activities,” Gonzales said.