DOH wants vape devices banned within schools
With classes opening next week in public schools, the Department of Health (DOH) has urged school officials to help in the national drive against smoking by banning cigarettes and vape devices within campuses.
“We should start drafting a policy that no student should be bringing vape devices to school. Because what’s happening is that as soon as they leave school, that’s when they start vaping,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said, adding that he has begun talks with the Department of Education (DepEd).
He noted that the law, particularly Republic Act No. 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, already prohibits the sale of vape devices to minors so students should not be in possession of these.
“Those going to school are still below 18 years old. Therefore, they should not be able to hold and use any vape products in the first place,” Herbosa said.
RA 11900 prohibits the sale, promotion, advertising, and product demonstration of vape products within 100 meters of any point of the perimeter of a school.
“The students don’t know that this is harmful to their health, so vaping should also be banned inside schools, just like cigarettes and drugs. It’s very important that this becomes a policy first … They should not be allowed to hold or use these vape products,” he added.
Not a safer option
Herbosa noted, however, that while vendors are penalized for selling vaping products to minors, online vendors continue to violate the law as authorities find it hard to monitor their activities.
The DOH has maintained its position that vapes are not a safer option to cigarettes. It had also pushed for the return of its powers to regulate novel tobacco products, including vape, which is currently with the Food and Drug Authority, an agency under the DOH.
The DOH has warned against an epidemic of vape use, especially among Filipino youth, making them at higher risk of becoming addicted and contracting different diseases.
According to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 14 percent, or 1 in every 7 Filipino youth between 13 and 15 years old, is already using e-cigarettes, translating into almost a million young users in the country.
Health authorities have expressed concern over the more than double increase, from 11.7 percent to 24.5 percent, of adolescents who are now using vape products even if they never smoked or vaped before.
