DOH proposal for total ban on e-cigarettes thumbed down

MANILA,Philippines — Lawmakers yesterday rejected the proposal of the Department of Health (DOH) for a total ban on electronic cigarettes and vaping products in the Philippine market.

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda and Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon said the proposal is too extreme and unnecessary.

Salceda, chairman of the House ways and means committee, said the proposal runs counter to the measure approved by this 18th Congress increasing the excise tax on electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products like e-cigarettes and vaping merchandise.

The lawmaker was referring to House Bill 1026, passed last August, which increases the excise tax on vaping products. The measure aims to generate revenue to fund the Universal Health Care (UHC) program of the government and reduce consumption of alcohol products. 

“It’s better to tax them as a luxury good since its price can be afforded by the rich at P1,350,” he told The STAR.

Under the measure, the specific tax on vapor products with nicotine salts will increase to P30 in 2020 from the current P10 per milliliter, with an incremental P5 yearly increase to P45 by 2023.

Once enacted, this measure is expected to generate P33.6 billion in additional revenue for the government in 2020, P42.1 billion in 2021 and P50.3 billion in 2022.  

Salceda also questioned the logic behind DOH’s proposal to impose a total ban on sale and consumption of ENDS products in the country.

“If that is the logic of precautionary principle, then should we ban everything that poses a risk to health?” he argued.

He believed that the majority of members of Congress that approved HB 1026 will be expected to oppose any bill pushing for a total ban on e-cigarettes.

Biazon, for his part, said banning e-cigarettes would be too drastic a measure as he pushed for mere regulation of the product.

“I think at this point, the business has been established in the country. For now, regulation will be sufficient as far as I’m concerned. Until we have a study that would establish conclusively that e-cigarettes can cause death, then probably that’s when we can consider a ban,” he told The STAR in an interview.