These illegal vapes, presented during the Department of Health’s media conference in Olongapo City on June 14, 2024, vary in flavors, packaging, sensation, and more, making them attractive to the younger generation. INQUIRER.net / LUISA CABATO
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday expressed alarm over how manufacturers of smuggled electronic vape products design their packaging to be appealing to the youth.
He said it during his speech after leading the inspection and condemnation of seized smuggled electronic vapes at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) grounds in South Harbor, Port Area, Manila.
READ: Health expert: Rise in fatal illnesses among young vape users seen
“If we look at the packaging, it’s clearly designed for the youth. So their target market is really the youth,” he said in Filipino.
“So, first of all, they really want to teach the youth to get addicted to vaping. And what’s worse is that vapes are dangerous because they even contain poison. Plus, since they’re smuggled, we can’t inspect them. We don’t know where they’re from or what’s inside, so this is extremely dangerous to the health of young people,” he added.
Marcos also vowed that concerned government agencies would continuously work on combating smuggled vape products.
“We will continue to do this, and I just wanted to highlight the efforts that we are doing and the dangers that accompany these smuggled vapes are far and beyond the loss [of] revenue to the government. More important to us are the health issues that these smuggled vapes are raising,” he said.
According to the BOC, 2,977,925 pieces of forfeited electronic vapes, along with vape parts and accessories worth P3.26 billion, were confiscated following 10 seizure operations conducted by the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port, and the Intelligence Group.
One out of seven Filipinos aged 13 to 15 use vape products, according to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2019.
The Child Rights Network also previously urged the government to let the Food and Drug Administration take charge of vape regulation to improve the country’s guidelines on e-cigarettes.
It stressed that the minimum age of individuals allowed access to vapes should be returned to 21 from the current 18, as provided under the Vape Law that was enacted in 2022.
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