NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) joined forces with the Department of Health (DOH) and other medical experts in urging President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the proposed Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act.

The DepEd expressed concern about the proposed measure in a statement on Thursday, stating that its implementation could endanger at least 870,000 learners aged 18 years and above.

“As a government agency dedicated to the well-being of young Filipinos, we are opposing the so-called ‘anti-health’ vape bill, which would weaken the existing law and executive order prohibiting the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) or Electronic Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENNDS), more commonly referred to as e-cigarettes or ‘vapes,'” the agency stated.

Several claims that vapes or e-cigarettes are “healthy alternatives” or effective “anti-smoking measures” were debunked during a webinar, with experts labeling them as fake news.

“Let me be clear: vapes and e-cigarettes are harmful and not risk-free, and, like conventional cigarettes, they contain highly toxic, addictive, and cancer-causing chemicals… Avoid falling for the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics that portray them as healthier alternatives, because they are not,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

Dr. Riz Gonzales of the Philippine Pediatric Society also slammed other experts’ claims that the bill was intended to “prevent use by minors.”

“Baliktad ko palagay. It’s super, super fake news, and natin hindi dapat tanggapin as-is. At nakakalungkot ang nagsabi nito harap-harapan… is another doctor (I believe). This is extreme, extreme fake news, and we should not believe it. The unfortunate thing about this is that the individual who made this blatant claim is another physician),” she explained.

According to a study conducted by the Philippine Pediatric Society, 6.7 percent of Grades 7 to 9 students have tried and are currently using e-cigarettes, owing to their accessibility, variety of flavors, and belief that they are safer than tobacco.

John Michael Cariazo, 24, a 24-year-old teacher with a half-decade of experience, also shared his encounters with vaping students.

“I have prior experience with students who used the product, kahit bawal” (although prohibited). When given the opportunity, some of them sneak it into the classroom and use it in the comfort room,” Cariazo explained.

He attributed their actions to peer pressure, stress, and the desire for immediate gratification.

“As a matter of protocol, we report it to the appropriate authorities and bring it to their parents’ attention. Create a resolution and attempt to expose the reported students to a series of interventions that will allow them to reflect on their actions,” he added.

Trojan stallion

The DOH believed that the bill’s passage would counteract the government’s intention to tighten regulation of the tobacco industry.

“This bill is a Trojan horse for this administration’s vowed policy of protecting the nation’s health, particularly the health of our children,” Duque said.

Gonzales defended Duque, stating that evidence indicates that vapes pose a health risk to youth, as they contain dangerous chemicals such as pesticides and carcinogens.

“Do we want our children, do we want to see young people with COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)? And render them unproductive at such a tender age?” Gonzales explained.

She noted that the satisfaction provided by vaping could lead to addiction in children, whose brains are still developing.

The vaping bill’s oassage will reduce the legal smoking age from 24 to 18 years.

Additionally, it will transfer device regulation from the DOH to the Department of Trade and Industry, a move that the health department opposed, claiming that these are medical devices, not consumer products.

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