Youth, health advocates demand nationwide vape ban vs ‘vapedemic’

A public health advocacy group and more than 60 youth organizations on Tuesday intensified calls for a nationwide vape ban to protect young Filipinos from what they described as a worsening “vapedemic.”

In a collective appeal coinciding with World Health Day, HealthJustice Philippines and allied groups urged the government to align its policies with several ASEAN neighbors that have already imposed total bans on electronic cigarettes and other novel nicotine products.

“We applaud our young generation of leaders for standing united in urgently calling for an end to the vapedemic plaguing Filipino youth. We cannot afford to treat this as a low-priority issue,” former Health Secretary and HealthJustice board member Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan said.

Galvez Tan stressed that a total ban is necessary to break the “cycle of misinformation” surrounding vape products and to protect the health of young Filipinos.

In an open letter addressed to the Philippine government, the Global Youth Voices coalition expressed support for the Department of Health’s (DOH) recent pronouncements favoring a comprehensive vape ban.

Philippine Smoke-Free Movement Youth national coordinator Rizza Duro urged lawmakers to consider the DOH’s position as a “strong signal” to pass measures aimed at preventing further health risks among the youth.

“This offers the Philippines an opportunity to adopt bold measures similar to those implemented by other countries in the ASEAN region,” Duro said.

The advocates outlined three key measures they want policymakers to adopt: banning novel nicotine products to prevent the rise of a new generation of nicotine users; protecting health policymaking from tobacco industry interference in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; and upholding the government’s responsibility to safeguard the health of future generations.

The coalition emphasized that decisions made today will shape the country’s future public health landscape.

“We hope the Philippine government will act swiftly to protect public health and safeguard future generations,” the group said in its open letter.