Vapers welcome House resolution on tobacco control
Electronic cigarette and vaping advocates hailed the adoption of a resolution at the House of Representatives urging the Department of Health (DOH) to promote harm reduction measures as part of its National Tobacco Control Strategy.
Joey Dulay, Philippine ECigarette Industry Association president, said the resolution is the first step at prodding the DOH from maintaining its stance against e-cigarettes as an effective tool for tobacco harm reduction.
“By unanimously adopting the resolution, the House of Representatives is sending a strong message to the DOH to abandon its misguided belief that ‘quit or die’ are the smokers’ only choices and instead follow the lead of the United Kingdom and other countries that have adopted harm reduction as part of their tobacco control strategies,” he said.
Peter Paul Dator, president of The Vapers Philippines, also thanked Congress for keeping an open mind about e-cigarettes “as a significantly less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes.”
“We urge the DOH to do the same and help save lives,” Dator said.
Co-authored by Rep. Anthony Bravo (Coop-NATTCO party-list) and Rep. Jose Tejada (North Cotabato, 3rd District), House Resolution 1885 cited the World Health Organization’s observation that showed an apparent gradual decrease in smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption and over- all nicotine use in the UK, where strict tobacco control measures are in place and electronic nicotine delivery systems include e-cigarettes are becoming more popular.
The resolution quoted Public Health England national director Kevin Fenton who said “the evidence is clear that vaping is much less harmful than smoking and that e-cigarettes are helping many smokers to quit.”
It highlighted the recommendation of Konstantinos Farsalinos, a leading researcher and expert on tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes, urging the Philippine government to create a regulatory framework for e-cigarettes that is reasonable, proportionate and realistic.